Hi there, and welcome back to this discussion about not falling for those ‘classic’ cop lines that get you into so much trouble with the law. And no, we’re not talking about those terrible come-ons you hear at the bar, or the appalling one-liners you find in your messages from folks on social media who don’t understand about healthy boundaries.
The type of lines we believe you should NEVER fall for are the kind that can end with you behind bars, or facing a lengthy prison sentence. Curious? Scared? As we pointed out in the previous article, lines like “You don’t need a lawyer… unless you’re guilty!”, or comments about how this would all be so much easier if you were just truthful, are the kind of lines we’re talking about. And here are a couple more!
The ‘classic cop lines’ you should watch out for:
- “It’s going to be so much worse for you if we have to get a search warrant!”
Right, so this is a bunch of baloney! Police officers like to make you think that if they have to take all kinds of extra steps and “go through official channels”, it’ll only reflect poorly on you. Why? Because you’re not being helpful. You’re not facilitating the process, which is the equivalent of obstructing justice. And that’s not remotely true! There are only three ways a cop can legally search your home or property, and that’s:
- with your permission, or
- with a search warrant signed by a judge, or
- The “plain view / plain smell / emergency” exceptions, which says a cop can search a premises if there is something in plain view, or that the officer can smell, which gives them probable cause to believe that a crime is being committed or that evidence of a crime is being destroyed. If the officer has a reasonable belief that there is an emergency that requires immediate attention in a premises, a warrant would not be required.
If you don’t give a police officer permission to search your property, and there isn’t something obvious in place (like someone screaming for help behind you, or a visible weapon in your house) that would give an officer the right to step in and search the premises under the “plain smell / plain view or emergency” exception, they have no choice but to get a search warrant. That’s the law. It’s in the U S Constitution. It’s in Michigan’s Constitution. It’s NOT the result of you being unhelpful or obstructionist. So don’t let the cops try to guilt you or frighten you into talking. Lawyer up and shut up. It’s your only safe choice. Don’t allow yourself to become intimated or bullied by the cops.
- “If you help me, I’ll help you!”
The first thing you need to know is that the cops are not there to help you. Their primary goal, actually their primary goal, is to solve a case as quickly as possible. They want to figure out “who dun it” so they can close the case and move on to the next one. Cops are busy and they have a lot of open cases ongoing at the same time. They have a limited amount of time to solve each crime, so the fastest and most obvious answer is the one they’re going to pursue. So if you look like the obvious answer, then the goal is to get you to confess as quickly as possible. “Helping you” has nothing to do with it! Lawyer up and don’t get fooled by one of the old cop lines of B.S.
Any cop who tells you they’ll help you is working to make your confession look like a good idea. They want you to think that confessing, or “telling them everything” is helpful to them (which it is!) and that if you do that, they’ll offer you something in return. Or at least find some way to make the whole thing easier for you. But that’s not true! They are not obligated to help you in any way, and it certainly doesn’t benefit them if they do. So don’t believe it! Once again… shut up and lawyer up!
And by “lawyer up” we mean “call us”!
Here at The Kronzek Firm we’ve spent decades helping people in Lansing and all over Ingham County, Big Rapids and Mecosta County, Milford and Oakland County and surrounding counties all over the lower peninsula of Michigan defend themselves against allegations and criminal charges. We understand exactly what tactics the cops are likely to use, and how easy it is to be deceived. Which is why, if the cops want to talk to you, you need to call us immediately
at 866 766 5245 / 866 7NoJail. Whether you live in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Adrian, or Caro, we can protect your rights and advise you on making safe, smart choices for your future. Our aggressive and top ranked criminal defense attorneys are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help with emergencies. Even if you haven’t been arrested yet, but the police want to talk to you, call us! We can help.