What should I do about this detective?
A detective left a business card asking me to call her. I left her a message letting her know i was trying to contact her. She called back 5 days later saying she would like to set up an interview with me about a case she has when i have a chance and in a place of my convenience. She hasnt given me any specifics about what is going on. What should i do?
6 attorney answers
Not sure what she could want, but as a card-carrying pessimist, I can't imagine she wants to tell you that you won a new car. So, as I see it, you can either hire a lawyer now while you're still roaming around free, or you can wait until you're wearing handcuffs to request a lawyer. Hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney now makes more sense, for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is that he/she can reach out to the detective, find out what she wants, and protect your interests (and quite possibly your freedom).
DISCLAIMER: ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION(S) DOES NOT MAKE ME YOUR LAWYER. I AM NOT YOUR LAWYER AND WILL NOT BE YOUR LAWYER UNLESS AND UNTIL WE BOTH SIGN A WRITTEN ATTORNEY-CLIENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT.
What Eugene said is spot on. Sometimes hiring an attorney on the front end before any charges are filed can save you from going to jail on the back end. With that being said, if you can't afford a lawyer, keep in mind that you have absolutely no obligation to speak with this detective. They literally WILL use anything against you that you tell them. I would be very wary of going to speak with this detective.
heres some million dollar advice-- exercise your right to remain silent. If you have an inkling that you may have been involved in a crime, no matter how remote, then odds are this detective is fishing for evidence against you. Hire an attorney for a reasonable fee to stop this train in its tracks by asking what it is about and if its a criminal case and your a suspect that you wont be answering any questions.
In my experience, a card-carrying detective who wants to speak to you is not good news. To avoid a surprise arrest, you should immediately hire a criminal defense attorney.
My recommendation would be not to speak to the detective but let your lawyer speak for you. Your lawyer would contact the detective and advise the detective that you are represented by counsel. Your lawyer may be able to find out what the matter is about and whether you are the focus or target of the investigation.
Anything your lawyer says may not be used against you but anything you say can and will. Police officers are allowed to lie to you by the Supreme Court. Although in court they are sworn to tell the truth, they are allowed to lie to a suspect to get them to admit to a crime, or commit a crime they were inclined to commit. This is not considered entrapment.
The detective could offer you a meeting at a convenient place, a cup of coffee and donuts and then after speaking to you nicely simply slap the handcuffs on and now you become the courts problem and they close their case by arrest.
Don't make the mistake many that my clients have made and try to explain your position to a detective. Detectives usually already have their minds made up when they speak to you, they are trying to seal your fate and make it easier for the state attorney to prosecute you for something by getting you to confirm a fact or two.
Don't fall for it. It is perfectly customary for a detective to get the call by an attorney advising them that their target is represented. Further, we attorneys are used to speaking to Detective's on friendly terms about a case without submitting our client to provide any incriminating information, unless we have an immunity letter or protection letter from the assistant state attorney ahead of time.
Get one of us involved soon. Use the find a lawyer feature on this website to find an attorney to give you a free consultation and case of valuation and please do not make any admissions on this or any other website about what could have possibly happened in your case.
If this answer helped you, please be so kind as to mark it "helpful" or "best answer". This would be greatly appreciated. Remember, this is not legal advice from Criminal Defense Lawyer Albert Quirantes, or the Ticket Law Center in Miami, Florida and there is no attorney client privilege created in this communication. Don't squeal on yourself by making admissions on this public website. Only ask theoretical questions of a general nature for your own protection.
Since you placed the question in the section of credit card fraud, I suspect you know exactly what the questions are about. You need to retain a criminal lawyer to advise you immediately.
Responses provided represent entirely un-researched, casual opinions and cannot be relied upon in any way or manner as legal advice. No communication here is intended to establish an attorney-client relationship.
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