Criminal Defense Attorney in Orlando
When you’re charged with a crime, big or small, remember that you have constitutional rights. Both the fifth and the fourteenth amendments protect your right to due process. But what does this mean in English and how does it apply to your arrest?
First, you don’t have to explain anything to the police. You do not have to protest that you are innocent and you do not have to try to tell them how you got yourself in the pickle you’re in. You have the right to remain silent.
Second, you have the right to representation by a lawyer. If you say anything at all, you should use your words to exercise this right. Ask for an attorney, then say nothing else until he or she arrives to stand by your side.
Third, you’re allowed to call that attorney from jail. If you don’t know one and need help finding one, don’t panic. It’s not true that you only get one call. You may call a loved one, a parent or a friend and ask any one of them to find you a lawyer. If they find you a number for an attorney, you may make a second call to the attorney.
Fourth, anything the arresting officers take from you when you are arrested is yours. Get a receipt; you are entitled to it. This includes everything from that stick of gum in your pocket to your cell phone to the 43 cents in change you might have had in your pocket. It’s all yours. Make sure to get a record of it.
Law enforcement cannot run roughshod over you and impair these rights. But, if you’re like most Americans, you may not be able to recall the details of the fifth and fourteen amendments when you’re taken into custody. In all likelihood, your arresting officer will recite them to you when he arrests you, but this can happen in a blur. You’ve probably heard officers read rights on television a few times, but it can feel different when it’s happening to you. The fact that your arresting officer spoke them is proof of how ironclad they are. He told you about them because due process means you have the right to be reminded.
The most important thing to remember if you’re arrested is to say nothing; nothing at all, except to ask for an lawyer. An experienced criminal defense lawyer knows those amendments inside and out. By far, your most important right is to get an experienced criminal defense attorney to your side immediately. He can oversee questioning and stop you from answering anything that might incriminate you. This can mean the difference between jail time and the charges against you being dropped.
