If police officers suspect you might have committed a crime, they undoubtedly are going to want to speak with you eventually. This is true whether the infraction is comparatively minor, like a first-time driving under the influence offense, or major, such as first-degree murder.
Before talking to you in a custodial setting, officers typically must inform you of your legal rights. It is advisable to exercise these rights, as detectives have the upper hand when it comes to interrogating suspects. They even can lie to you about many matters.
What lies can officers tell you?
According to the Innocence Project, law enforcement agencies can use shady tactics to elicit confessions and other incriminating evidence from suspects. Lying is a common one of these tactics. Indeed, officers can likely legally lie to you about the evidence they have, including making up evidence that does not exist.
What lies can officers not tell you?
Even though officers can misrepresent facts and even outright lie to you, they cannot be untruthful about everything. Specifically, officers must be truthful when it comes to your legal rights. When you are in custody, you have a right not to incriminate yourself. This means you can refuse to speak to officers and also can request legal counsel.
There are far too many innocent individuals who are serving prison sentences for crimes they did not commit. Ultimately, knowing officers can legally lie to you might keep you from confessing to something you simply did not do or otherwise incriminating yourself.
