Imagine, it’s a little passed 8:30 P.M.; you’re just getting home perhaps from a long day at work. You may have put up with much nonsense at your job, co-worker or your boss but finally you’re at home with your family looking forward to a nice dinner and some rest.
Suddenly there is a knock at the door. You look at your spouse a bit surprised wondering who could be calling on you this late on a Wednesday night. You open the door and are shocked to see two police officers asking to speak with you. Actually they are detectives from your local police precinct. You immediately feel light headed. Your hands begin to sweat and your body starts to tremble ever so slightly. You hope that they do not notice how nervous you are. But, you have not done anything wrong. In fact, the detectives have not even asked you a question yet, but just the sight at the officers brings forth feelings of anxiety and fear.
They ask you about an incident that you were involved in about two weeks ago. Perhaps you encountered an individual in the street while you were driving. The other driver cut you off and you had an exchange of words. Perhaps, an old acquaintance owed you some money and you dropped by his house to see if he could square up with after all this time, or; perhaps the detectives inform you that someone was beat real bad a few blocks away and an informant told police that you were involved.
Now the police inform you that you must go with them to the precinct for further questioning. They never read you your rights nor do they even inform you that you’re being arrested and most likely will not return home form central booking for approximately 24 hours. You’re confused and a little scared. You don’t want to go with them but after all you must. They are the police. You think to yourself, this is the United States and I thought I was presumed innocent until they proved me guilty. But your sure not treated in that manner at this moment.
You attempt to explain yourself. You place yourself at the scene of an alleged crime and make your first mistake. Perhaps you volunteer, that the other individual punched you first and you just defended yourself, or you even tell the police that you were not even at the scene in the first place. Nonetheless, your defense falls on deaf ears except the important portions of your statement that are potentially damaging to you and will be used later in court against you. You have the right to an attorney, but the police won’t tell you that.
Your family scrabbles for the yellow pages searching desperately for help as the police place your hands behind your back and restrain you with their handcuffs. You need a criminal attorney. The cuffs are tight and your fingers begin to get a bit numb from the lack of circulation. Every neighbor on your block seems to outside staring and pointing at you as the detectives lead you away into their undercover car.
You’re innocent. It did not go down the way the police said it did. Your fear now turns to anger and frustration as you embark on one of the most difficult and grave circumstances you have yet to experience in your life. Defending yourself and you reputation in a criminal court case…
