One question I receive regularly is clients calling to see if they should talk to the police during an investigation. There is no wholly right or wrong answer. If you are a witness to something that just happened and they are doing an initial investigation, then it is generally good to talk to the police and let them know what you witnessed. In that scenario, you are not a target of the investigation.

If the police are seeking you out to question you about a specific incident and you are the target of the investigation, the situation is different. If the police investigate you, their goal is to get incriminating information from you. Therefore, you need to understand the police do not have to tell you that you are the target of the investigation, the basis of the investigation, or be honest about what other people have said. 

Police officers are trained in interrogation. They often take my client’s words and twist them into something my client did not mean. You are talking with professionals, yet nothing they say is binding. Don’t let yourself fall into a trap.

Laws and interpretations are continually changing. So, whether you talk to an officer during the investigation has many components we need to evaluate before making a decision. Also, as rulings come down from different courts and jurisdictions, our approach is apt to change. 

If you or someone you know is under investigation and the police want to talk to you, or if you want to discuss the process, FIRST contact the law office of Larrion L. Hillman at 318-549-9810. Remember, items published in my Blog or Vlog are not intended to be formal legal advice or the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Larrion Hillman practices criminal defense in Caddo Parish, Webster Parish, Bossier Parish, Shreveport, and Bossier City, Louisiana. And remember, keep calm and let Hillman handle it.