[HN Gopher] Don't Talk to Police (2012) [video]
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       Don't Talk to Police (2012) [video]
        
       Author : Aerbil313
       Score  : 203 points
       Date   : 2023-06-17 15:48 UTC (7 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.youtube.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.youtube.com)
        
       | paulpauper wrote:
       | this again? it is good advice sometimes, but also good advice if
       | you want a long ride to the station because you refused to
       | identify yourself and give information.
        
         | [deleted]
        
       | lurquer wrote:
       | Happily for the State, no matter how many times you give this
       | obvious advice, people will still blab away and incriminate
       | themselves.
       | 
       | Ha. Even in a thread such as this peopled by highly educated
       | types, you see comment after comment expressing some disbelief
       | with this obvious advice.
       | 
       | This advice precedes the 5th am, incidentally. So long as you
       | live in a system where the State has the burden of proof, it is
       | NEVER beneficial to say ANYTHING to a cop.
       | 
       | But, like I said, many folks don't understand this. So, lawyers
       | and prisons and judges will always have a job.
       | 
       | I suppose it's like a senior programmer advising a noob not to
       | create a pointer object using 'new()' within a frequently called
       | function... but, folks will do it anyway. Oh well.
        
       | RadixDLT wrote:
       | what if you get into an accident, should you still give the
       | police details?
        
         | rad_gruchalski wrote:
         | The answer in the title. Never talk to the police.
        
       | qawwads wrote:
       | How does that translate to internal investigations? Should you
       | talk to HR? If you're in school, should you talk to the
       | principal?
        
       | boringuser2 wrote:
       | I have a simple script that I have constructed to deal with the
       | police when/if I ever get questioned. I feel it strikes a good
       | balance between the potential ways of approaching this.
       | 
       |  _While I would like to be helpful to your investigation, in
       | order to ensure my rights are protected, I cannot speak with you
       | without a lawyer present. I appreciate your patience and
       | understanding._
       | 
       | In my mind, this balances being respectful, dealing with
       | potential follow-ups in the vein of "only a guilty person would
       | say that", shutting down potential conversation, etc.
       | 
       | If anyone has good edits, I'm all ears.
        
         | mplanchard wrote:
         | As noted in another thread, it is probably worth adding an
         | explicit statement that you're invoking your right to remain
         | silent.
        
           | boringuser2 wrote:
           | In that case, I'd amend it like so.
           | 
           |  _While I would like to be helpful to your investigation, in
           | order to ensure my rights are protected, I must invoke my
           | right to be silent without a lawyer present. I appreciate
           | your patience and understanding._
           | 
           | I feel like there's some additional potential verbiage
           | modification that can be made to make it more clear to the
           | officer that you're trying to protect your rights and
           | apologize for any inconvenience, but I can't put my finger on
           | it. I think being cordial and respectful will deal with many
           | potential negative side-effects of this approach.
           | 
           | Granted, I'm trying to amolierate the side-effect of this
           | frustrating an officer you're interacting with or triggering
           | their sense that you're actually guilty, causing yourself a
           | greater headache. It's not about what's right, it's about
           | what's effective.
        
             | mplanchard wrote:
             | I think this is a reasonable approach. I would personally
             | not add the additional apologies though, in case that winds
             | up being spun in court later somehow.
             | 
             | Something like "I am invoking my 5th amendment right to
             | remain silent and will not answer any questions without a
             | lawyer present" is sufficient.
             | 
             |  _Most_ cops will be fine with this. They know the game a
             | lot better than you. They're not asking you questions to
             | try to have a pleasant interaction with you. They're
             | fishing for things they can nab you on, and they know it.
             | So, showing that you also know the game and clamming up
             | isn't necessarily unexpected or viewed as being rude.
             | 
             | Of course, you could always get a real prick who gets
             | offended and tries to hassle you for it, in which case
             | maybe your approach is the better one, but I suspect
             | someone like that is going to cause problems regardless of
             | how nicely you phrase it.
        
               | boringuser2 wrote:
               | The reason why I don't like that approach is because it
               | is the approach of a career criminal. The cops wouldn't
               | be wrong to hassle you in this interaction.
               | 
               | An apology goes a long way. Reading some of your other
               | posts, I fear you're too indignant. I'm not, I only want
               | to do what would produce the best possible outcome. I
               | don't care about anything else and I have no righteous
               | sentiment in this scenario.
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | It's also the approach of most police and lawyers, i.e.
               | anyone who is familiar with the criminal justice system.
               | I've mentioned it elsewhere, but I got this advice from
               | my relatives who are themselves police, both state and
               | federal.
               | 
               | Edit: and the police would absolutely be wrong to hassle
               | you in this situation! It's a right. If you don't
               | exercise it for yourself, nobody will do it for you.
        
       | avgcorrection wrote:
       | I might assume as much just from the prejudice of watching
       | American cops in the fictional media.
       | 
       | The ones who are portrayed as protagonists/good guys are often
       | obsessed assholes who will do whatever it takes to solve the
       | case, ranging from manipulating witnesses to doing borderline
       | illegal things. Then their bozo superior gets in the way because
       | they don't see how, actually, in this case it would be totally
       | worth it to do something without proper procedure, and actually
       | being a maverick cop who just follows his gut is perfectly good
       | and okay.
       | 
       | They only remain "the good guys" because they happen to catch the
       | bad guys.
        
       | wiseowise wrote:
       | [flagged]
        
         | ofslidingfeet wrote:
         | *Especially in the US
        
         | Aerbil313 wrote:
         | Do you know anything about other countries? I'd love to hear.
        
           | _dain_ wrote:
           | UK version of Miranda warning is
           | 
           |  _> You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your
           | defence if you do not mention when questioned something that
           | you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given
           | in evidence._
           | 
           | More info: https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/advice_infor
           | mation/pol...
           | 
           | This video is one of my bugbears. It gets posted every now
           | and then on Reddit and other places, upvoted a lot, and
           | nobody in the comments points out how dangerous it is to rely
           | on some of this advice outside of the US. You can really land
           | yourself in trouble if you aren't aware of the differences
           | between American legal system and your home country's, even
           | when they're both based on common law. Just another side
           | effect of American cultural imperialism.
        
         | Johnny555 wrote:
         | Is there any country where it's advantageous to speak more than
         | required to the police? (I'm sure there are some countries
         | where you're required to speak more than in the USA where
         | you're legally allowed not to speak at all without a lawyer)
        
           | pawelmurias wrote:
           | There are countries where the policy can beat up with
           | impunity or let you off for minor infractions. In the past in
           | the Ukraine they also took bribes at every opportunity.
        
           | mrweasel wrote:
           | > Is there any country where it's advantageous to speak more
           | than required to the police
           | 
           | I think it's more a "why would it be problematic?" and not so
           | much if it's advantageous. Unless you're guilty, but then
           | it's normally advantageous in the sense that your punishment
           | often reduced when you admit guilt.
        
           | OscarCunningham wrote:
           | I've heard that in Japan conviction rates at trial are
           | something like 98%. So presumably you don't lose anything by
           | trying to convince the cops of your innocence.
        
             | freetime2 wrote:
             | Japan also allows police to detain suspects for long
             | periods without filing charges or providing access to an
             | attorney. [1] So in practice you may have no choice but to
             | talk to the police (or even confess).
             | 
             | [1] https://apjjf.org/2020/13/IbusukiRepeta.html
        
           | Matheus28 wrote:
           | In the UK, adverse inference may be drawn from silence in
           | certain circumstances. In fact, they will usually say:
           | 
           | > You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your
           | defence if you do not mention when questioned something which
           | you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given
           | in evidence.
        
           | lepus wrote:
           | Just one example is it's the norm to ask police for
           | directions in Japan.
        
             | rjh29 wrote:
             | You need to carry a passport if you're a tourist in Japan.
             | Although I did forget once and nobody cared, it isn't
             | guaranteed.
        
             | freetime2 wrote:
             | Police in Japan also go door-to-door introducing themselves
             | to residents, gathering basic info (what is your job, how
             | many people living here, etc), sharing details about recent
             | crime in the neighborhood, etc. [1] While it is supposedly
             | voluntary, I think just about everyone complies.
             | 
             | I personally have always played along as the police are
             | always very friendly when making rounds, and wish to
             | maintain that friendly relationship. I also consider myself
             | a beneficiary of the low crime rates here, and consider
             | participation to be a civic responsibility.
             | 
             | http://www.accessj.com/2013/02/police-home-visits.html
        
           | willeh wrote:
           | Generally your refusing to answer can be used against you,
           | ensuring that you are properly represented of course isn't
        
         | sgjohnson wrote:
         | Everywhere. In every non 3rd world country you have a right to
         | not incriminate yourself.
         | 
         | "I do not recall" and "I refuse to answer" translates well into
         | a lot of languages.
         | 
         | The first time when you should talk about your case, if ever,
         | is in court, during the trial.
        
           | flangola7 wrote:
           | This isn't accurate, adverse inference can be drawn from
           | silence in many first world western nations.
        
             | sgjohnson wrote:
             | "adverse inference" is still nothing when it comes to
             | making a case and is still infinitely better than perhaps
             | missing an important detail and then having discrepancies
             | between your own testimonies.
        
       | ghoogl wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | dang wrote:
       | Related. Others?
       | 
       |  _Don 't Talk to the Police_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23390344 - June 2020 (6
       | comments)
       | 
       |  _Don 't Talk to the Police - James Duane_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19717507 - April 2019 (4
       | comments)
       | 
       |  _Don 't Talk to the Police (2012)_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15886628 - Dec 2017 (165
       | comments)
       | 
       |  _Don 't talk to the police [video]_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6001859 - July 2013 (37
       | comments)
       | 
       |  _Don 't talk to the police_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=219758 - June 2008 (35
       | comments)
        
         | belter wrote:
         | Don't Talk to the Police Part 2 - https://youtu.be/tIt-l2YmH8M
        
           | ccooffee wrote:
           | This was a really disappointing video. It is a 30 minute
           | infomercial for a book that constantly says "what if <x>?
           | well, you'll have to read the book".
        
       | seattle_spring wrote:
       | As an extremely relevant and related topic, it's Shut the Fuck Up
       | Friday [1], time to review the script!
       | 
       | [1] https://youtu.be/sgWHrkDX35o
        
       | entelechy0 wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | raincom wrote:
       | Beria's law: 'show me the man and I'll show you the crime'.
       | That's how they get you.
        
       | dccoolgai wrote:
       | Recent case in point: Walt Nauta, who got charged along with
       | Trump. Had he just kept his mouth shut, he probably wouldn't have
       | been charged, but they got him dead-to-rights saying stuff
       | they're pretty sure they can prove he was lying about. And this
       | is it "working the way it should".
       | 
       | The darker version is a Federal Agent says you told him something
       | you didn't even say because it helps the case he's building. He
       | asks you to repeat it on record and when you balk, he threatens
       | you with a felony for "lying to a federal agent".
       | 
       | Don't ever do it, even if it's an investigation you're
       | sympathetic to. If _your_ lawyer is there taking notes, they know
       | there's less shenanigans they can pull.
        
         | asylteltine wrote:
         | [dead]
        
         | kkielhofner wrote:
         | > The darker version is a Federal Agent says you told him
         | something you didn't even say because it helps the case he's
         | building. He asks you to repeat it on record and when you balk,
         | he threatens you with a felony for "lying to a federal agent".
         | 
         | This is shown in a scene from "Wolf of Wall Street"[0]. In this
         | case the main agent gets his partner to come to within earshot
         | of Jordan Belfort and asks Jordan to repeat his bribery offer.
         | Testimony from one FBI agent is good, testimony from two is
         | better.
         | 
         | [0] - https://youtu.be/3IKbkjs8xd0?t=46
        
       | Aerbil313 wrote:
       | Haha. First time submitting a link (and it blowing up, it's on
       | page 4!). I'm in wonder how I did unleash all this stream of
       | comments, as my eyes are fixed on the karma point, reloading the
       | page, watching it increase like it never did before, despising
       | myself for that at the same time for falling to the gamification
       | and thinking it's time to nuke my HN account.
        
         | Garrrrrr wrote:
         | reposting good videos gets you a long way I guess. 'karma'
         | isn't very real here or anywhere
        
           | Aerbil313 wrote:
           | I didn't have much of an intention of boosting my karma btw.
           | I just saw this video linked on HN today in another thread.
        
       | LgWoodenBadger wrote:
       | Civil rights are a core educational experience that is sorely and
       | fundamentally lacking in the US educational system.
        
         | hartator wrote:
         | > lacking in the US educational system
         | 
         | In most other countries, cops can ask for your ID and basic
         | questions and detain you if you are not complying.
        
           | ajuc wrote:
           | How law is actually used matters much more than these
           | technicalities.
           | 
           | USA has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world,
           | police brutality and police murdering people is a bigger
           | concern than in most places where people have to show ID on
           | cue.
           | 
           | This is one of these "liberty cargo cult" rights, like the
           | right to bear arms or not having 1 unique identifier. It
           | sounds nice in theory, but in practice it doesn't really help
           | in the rare cases for which it was designed, and it makes
           | things harder on the happy path.
        
           | hknmtt wrote:
           | they most certainly cannot detain you without a cause. in the
           | context of what you wrote, if you do not have your id, which
           | is not mandatory to carry, they can detain you for 48 hours
           | in order to establish your identity, but if they fail they
           | have to let you go.
        
             | _dain_ wrote:
             | Did you miss the part where he said "in other countries"?
        
             | cwillu wrote:
             | You agree that they can detain you for something that isn't
             | mandatory.
        
       | throwawaywu wrote:
       | Also don't talk to federal agents.
       | 
       | Lying to a federal agent is a felony, and often times they don't
       | have enough evidence for the original crime, but by talking to
       | you they get evidence of you lying
        
         | Sniffnoy wrote:
         | It's worse than that -- often their MO is to deliberately get
         | people rattled so they say something false (that the FBI
         | already knew was false), then charge them for that. It's
         | stupid, but it's currently the [courts' interpretation of] the
         | law. (The written law has a materiality requirement, but this
         | has been interpreted so loosely as to be irrelevant.)
         | 
         | https://www.popehat.com/2017/12/04/everybody-lies-fbi-editio...
        
           | kkielhofner wrote:
           | With this law on the books they often operate under the same
           | practice/advice you hear given to attorneys in court: "only
           | ask questions you already know the answer to".
           | 
           | In many/most cases if they're asking questions they already
           | know the truth behind at least some of them. They are
           | attempting to leverage you into cooperating against co-
           | conspirators or at least be able to hit you with a felony for
           | misleading/false statements in the event the original
           | investigation doesn't pan out to charges.
        
         | SV_BubbleTime wrote:
         | _Michael Flynn has entered the chat._
         | 
         | If you can, get past his ideology and that he was a Trump guy,
         | the actual process of what happened to him and what he was
         | charged with is pretty crazy.
         | 
         | He was very stupid for talking to agents without a lawyer. But,
         | they went in and got him to lie about something that wasn't a
         | crime, and he didn't actually do.
         | 
         | Also on the front page of HN right now:
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36367147
        
           | tptacek wrote:
           | As a member of President Trump's transition team, Flynn made
           | a pair of direct diplomatic requests to Russia's ambassador
           | to the United States (Russia complied with both requests).
           | Later, during an FBI counterintelligence investigation
           | centering on Russia, Flynn lied twice about having had those
           | diplomatic conversations at all. The case was later dropped
           | because the entire overarching investigation (Crossfire
           | Hurricane) --- which did not center on Flynn --- was dropped.
           | 
           | Flynn is a cut-and-dried example of how 18 USC 1001 can make
           | sense. He wasn't entrapped. He hung himself out to dry. It's
           | a great example of the logic of this thread and the post:
           | don't talk to federal agents, because if you're an idiot and
           | try to bullshit your way past basic facts of their
           | investigation, they'll convict you for it.
        
             | SV_BubbleTime wrote:
             | [flagged]
        
               | vore wrote:
               | So... what is it?
        
               | mcny wrote:
               | I think this case is the prime example why lying to a
               | federal agent ought to not be a crime at all. Why should
               | I go to prison and have a felony if Michael Flynn doesn't
               | have to? If I have to go to prison, so does Michael
               | Flynn.
        
               | jfengel wrote:
               | Michael Flynn has a friend with the power to pardon. You
               | do not. Do not optimize the rules as if you and he were
               | in the same class.
        
               | jackmott wrote:
               | [dead]
        
           | jackmott wrote:
           | [dead]
        
           | HyperSane wrote:
           | Michael Flynn is literally a traitor to the US.
        
             | asylteltine wrote:
             | [dead]
        
         | kevin_thibedeau wrote:
         | This is how Martha Stewart got sent to the klink, not for
         | insider trading.
        
         | jimbob45 wrote:
         | Is there no Miranda equivalent for federal agents?
        
           | Spooky23 wrote:
           | There is, so you have the right to remain silent. The
           | difference is that federal law makes it illegal to lie to a
           | federal agent.
           | 
           | Lying to the police is dumb in general because it can be used
           | against you. In the federal sense it's dumber as it is a
           | felony in of itself.
           | 
           | This is often cited as an abuse of power etc. I think there's
           | a lot of nuance.
        
       | maerF0x0 wrote:
       | His book is a good read:
       | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30532856-you-have-the-ri...
       | 
       | He actually updates his stance a touch from the content in the
       | video. Particularly in not just invoking your 5th amendment (the
       | right not self incriminate), but also the 6th (the right to a
       | lawyer before being interrogated)
       | 
       | Also this is not a "if you have nothing to hide" kind of
       | conversation, see another top item on HN today:
       | 
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36367147 ( People Can Be
       | Convinced They Committed a Crime That Never Happened
       | (psychologicalscience.org) )
        
         | AlbertCory wrote:
         | The cops say, "if you have nothing to hide" and also "if you
         | don't come in, I can't help you." Fortunately, Daryl saw
         | through the latter one and didn't come in.
         | 
         | Yes, it's another plug for one of my Substack articles:
         | 
         | https://albertcory50.substack.com/p/baby-please-dont-go
        
       | hollywood_court wrote:
       | I was raised by career long LEOs. My mother and father and all 3
       | of my stepfathers were LEOs.
       | 
       | They always told me to never speak to the police. Every
       | interaction with a police officer is inviting trouble into your
       | life.
       | 
       | They exist to monetize your mistakes. They have no legal
       | obligation to assist you in any manner.
        
         | paulpauper wrote:
         | what if you are asked to identify yourself such as for a
         | speeding ticket or a Terry stop. I don't think it's clear cut.
        
           | mplanchard wrote:
           | This is clear cut. There are situations where you are legally
           | obligated to interact with the police, like providing your
           | identification at a traffic stop. In any other situation, you
           | should avoid interaction with the police.
        
             | tyingq wrote:
             | > This is clear cut.
             | 
             | Sort of. So you're pulled over for a brake light that's
             | out. Then, they start asking "Where are you coming from?",
             | "Why are you here?", "Do you live near here? (when they
             | already have your address)", "If you're coming from that
             | far, why don't you have luggage?" etc.
             | 
             | I guess you can try to give as terse an answer as possible
             | without coming across as rude? Saying nothing is your
             | right, but they have lots of power to generate consequences
             | if they don't like it.
        
               | green_man_lives wrote:
               | The real answer is that there is no actual way to win.
               | You are at their mercy and it is really 100% up to what
               | they choose to do.
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | While it is true that you are physically at their mercy,
               | provided you survive your encounter with the police (not
               | by any means a guarantee in this country), you CANNOT be
               | incriminated in a court of law for invoking your right to
               | remain silent. You CAN be incriminated in a court of law
               | for literally anything else you say. The winning move is
               | clearly not to give them any more ammunition than they
               | already have.
        
               | tyingq wrote:
               | I think we all understand that part. It's the part where
               | they can say anything happened and it's suddenly your
               | word against theirs. So, irritating them can have
               | consequences.
               | 
               | The tactic feels fine for an interrogation room, where's
               | everything is on camera. In the outside world, it's
               | trickier.
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | Yeah that is true, although most police have bodycams
               | these days, and they've also got a recording going from
               | their car, so there's generally going to be some evidence
               | in your favor. It is also always a good idea to start
               | recording at least audio on your phone before talking to
               | police.
               | 
               | A lot of people seem to think that not answering
               | questions is going to aggravate the officer, and that's
               | not generally true in my experience. Assuming you're
               | asserting your rights calmly and not being belligerent,
               | it's well within the normal scope of behavior that they
               | expert to encounter.
        
               | CottonMcKnight wrote:
               | That WAS true, until Scalia et al eviscerated the
               | protections of the 5th Amendment if you invoke it after
               | you start talking. Then (according to the majority
               | opinion of the Court), your subsequent invocation of the
               | 5th Amendment CAN be used as evidence against you.
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | But it is clear cut! You don't have to answer any of
               | those questions. You only need to provide your
               | identification and registration.
               | 
               | Remember it's not a normal social interaction. They use
               | the fact that it feels rude to refuse to answer questions
               | to get you to incriminate yourself. They're playing a
               | game, and so you need to understand the rules. Not
               | answering is not being rude. Invoke your 5th amendment
               | right and shut up.
        
               | egberts1 wrote:
               | It is clear cut because when you obtained your driver's
               | license, you have had already signed and agreed to reveal
               | your name on a "traffic" stop because you are on public
               | road with intent for commerce (or not).
               | 
               | Walking on the sidewalk, your D/L, not so much unless you
               | were operating a vehicle, registered or not.
        
               | thethimble wrote:
               | It seems like there's a practical approach and a
               | literalist approach here. I never understood the
               | insistence of "don't talk to the police" in relation to
               | the questions above. If you can give the "right" answers,
               | why wouldn't you?
               | 
               | I understand how this might be compromising fundamental
               | rights, but at the same time I just want to get home. Is
               | this wrong?
        
               | AlbertCory wrote:
               | You need to watch the videos.
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | The problem is that you don't know what the cop is doing.
               | They might just be pulling you over for the reasons they
               | stated, or they might be investigating some crime in the
               | area and looking for suspicious people. Even a right or
               | true answer can incriminate you in a certain light.
               | Everything you say can potentially bite you in the ass
               | later.
               | 
               | Better to be a little inconvenienced and take longer to
               | get home than say something that can later be used in a
               | court of law to implicate you in something you had no
               | knowledge of.
               | 
               | I really want to emphasize that ALL of my police family
               | gives this same advice.
        
               | credit_guy wrote:
               | > Everything you say can potentially bite you in the ass
               | later.
               | 
               | Even if they didn't read you your Miranda rights before?
               | My knowledge of legal affairs comes only from movies, but
               | I got the impression that things you say before they read
               | you Miranda can't be used against you. Are all the movies
               | wrong?
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | They do not need to read you your Miranda rights to
               | question you, no. They only read you your rights if you
               | are being detained. But they are free to use anything you
               | say before or after if for some reason you wind up in
               | court.
               | 
               | Here's a corroborating source:
               | https://www.lawinfo.com/resources/criminal-defense/when-
               | must...
               | 
               | Movies are often really wrong about lots of things in the
               | criminal justice system.
        
               | credit_guy wrote:
               | Thanks for the link. It makes sense.
               | 
               | Hopefully I will never need to put my newly acquired
               | knowledge to a test.
        
               | thethimble wrote:
               | Thanks for the continued insistence!
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | Haha I don't know if this is sarcastic, but I get it if
               | so. Someone else said I was too indignant.
               | 
               | I apologize if I'm coming on strong. I've talked to one
               | of my uncles in particular, who was a police officer for
               | a long time and who now works for DHS, about the tactics
               | that he'd use once he stopped people to try to get them
               | to admit to something he could arrest them for. He
               | obviously always felt like he was just doing his job: if
               | he could get them to incriminate themselves, then he just
               | nabbed a criminal. But he'd do a lot of really tricky
               | stuff! And there are a _lot_ of things that are
               | technically illegal that they can get you in if they're
               | suspicious of you for some reason.
               | 
               | Anyway as a result this a thing that I feel pretty
               | strongly about :)
        
               | AlbertCory wrote:
               | I think the standard cop questions, "Do you know how fast
               | you were going?" and "do you know why I stopped you?" are
               | also invitations for you to incriminate yourself.
               | 
               | A polite "No idea, officer" is your answer.
        
               | autoexec wrote:
               | > A polite "No idea, officer" is your answer.
               | 
               | That can also be used against you since you're admitting
               | that you were not paying attention to your speed. It also
               | means you lose the ability to claim that any speed the
               | officer says you were traveling at is wrong, since you,
               | by your own admission, wouldn't know any better.
               | 
               | "You tell me" might be a better answer.
        
               | [deleted]
        
               | krapp wrote:
               | >A polite "No idea, officer" is your answer.
               | 
               | You just admitted to reckless driving. You're not allowed
               | to not know the speed limit or your own speed while
               | driving - the speedometer is right in front of you, and
               | the officer knows exactly where the last speed limit sign
               | you passed was. And if you recant on that in any way, if
               | you even seem slightly uncertain, you just admitted to
               | lying to an officer.
               | 
               | This is why the rule is "never talk to police," not
               | "never talk to police unless you think you're clever."
        
       | AlecSchueler wrote:
       | A friend of mine recently had quite a bad experience asking the
       | police for help with directions as he was traveling through the
       | Netherlands.
       | 
       | He was trying to figure out where he was using the map on a bus
       | stop and approached a nearby police car to ask for assistance.
       | 
       | They demanded his ID which he was not carrying at the time. He
       | explained that it was in his bag at the place where he was
       | staying and they said he needed to be able to identify himself,
       | so they arrested him on the spot and he was not free again until
       | the following morning. As a result he missed a ferry and had to
       | spend the money booking another one.
        
         | netule wrote:
         | It's strange, but you must be able to identify yourself if
         | you're over the age of 14 [1] in The Netherlands. Having lived
         | in the US for 20 years now, this also seems a bit draconian to
         | me, but I didn't think much of it while growing up over there.
         | 
         | [1]: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/paspoort-en-
         | identit...
        
           | AlecSchueler wrote:
           | True, I don't think of it much now that I've been living here
           | for a few years. But it's scary how easily someone can be
           | caught out while traveling through the NL from one part of
           | Schengen to another where these rules don't apply.
        
           | morsch wrote:
           | It's the same in Germany, but I still wouldn't expect the
           | police to ask for my ID when asking for directions. The fact
           | that you need to be able to identify yourself when asked
           | doesn't mean that they are supposed to ask for it for every
           | interaction.
        
             | [deleted]
        
             | atomflunder wrote:
             | IANAL, but 99% sure that the situation in Germany is that
             | you have to identify yourself (give name, birthday,
             | (address?)), but you /don't/ have to carry (or show) your
             | government issued ID at all times.
        
               | hashier wrote:
               | I actually recently asked a German police person the
               | exact same question if I have to have my ID/passport with
               | me at all times. The answer was "no, you just need to own
               | one or the other".
               | 
               | I always thought as well that there is "Ausweispflicht"
               | (ID carrying obligatory) in Germany.
        
               | c4mpute wrote:
               | Ausweispflicht means that you have to own a Reisepass or
               | Personalausweis, not carry any of them.
        
               | morsch wrote:
               | You don't have to carry it, no. But if you don't carry
               | your ID (or equivalent) and they have a reason to ask for
               | it (e.g. you are a suspect of a crime), they can require
               | you to take them wherever you keep your ID or to the
               | station.
               | 
               | I figured it worked the same in the Netherlands, but from
               | what I can tell it's true that you always need to carry
               | it and you can get fined if you don't. So quite a bit
               | more strict. That sucks.
               | 
               | https://de.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Rechte_und_Pflichten_im_U
               | mga... (German)
        
           | gymbeaux wrote:
           | I could give a damn about 2A/the right to bear arms, but if I
           | had to ID myself to police for asking for directions...
        
             | jameshart wrote:
             | Please complete the sentence for me. How does this thought
             | end?
        
               | HyperSane wrote:
               | He would be angry at such a stupid law.
        
           | dudefeliciano wrote:
           | i would agree if someone is suspected of committing or
           | witnessing a crime but to require ID for simply asking
           | directions, and then getting arrested, seems like exactly the
           | kind of overreach that gives a bad image to cops.
        
             | rjh29 wrote:
             | Chances are there is more to the story here. We're getting
             | third-hand information after all.
        
               | [deleted]
        
           | a2tech wrote:
           | That would definitely be surprising for most Americans. Many
           | of us (like my wife) never carry id unless they plan on
           | driving.
        
             | jameshart wrote:
             | ... or entering a bar, or buying alcohol, or purchasing
             | allergy medicine
        
               | WirelessGigabit wrote:
               | What kind of allergy medicine requires ID? I only know of
               | pseudo-epinephrine (not to be confused with the as-
               | strong-as-homeopathics phenylephrine), which is cold
               | medicine.
        
               | jameshart wrote:
               | Claritin D and Zyrtec D are sold for allergy relief, and
               | contain pseudoephedrine.
        
             | Spivak wrote:
             | And technically you don't have to have your ID on your
             | person when driving. In some states you might be issued a
             | fine if you make the officer mad but it's not a _crime_ and
             | you won 't be arrested.
        
             | JoyfulTurkey wrote:
             | I feel weird without it and I always carry my ID in the US,
             | even when just going for a walk around the neighborhood.
             | 
             | Not hard for me since it's in my wallet and I use one of
             | those slim wallets and don't carry many other cards and
             | don't stash receipts in the bill area like some people do.
        
             | WirelessGigabit wrote:
             | Even in the US it's weird. I arrived on a passport + visa.
             | No requirement to carry it. Got a driver license. No
             | requirement to carry that either, unless I'm driving _. But
             | now that I have a Green Card I need to carry it at all
             | times. At least until I get citizenship.
             | 
             | _ I live in a state that allows for having my driver
             | license on my phone.
        
               | jrmg wrote:
               | As someone who also lived on a visa in the US, I think
               | you were required to carry it at all times like your
               | green card. It's just never enforced.
        
             | __rito__ wrote:
             | This is very strange for an Indian, too.
             | 
             | We do not carry ID unless we are driving (driving license),
             | using long-distance transport, or going to vote.
             | 
             | Always carrying ID is such a strange idea!
        
           | wegwerp wrote:
           | Honestly, lots of us Dutchies leave the house from time to
           | time without ID. I don't even think to carry it when I go
           | running, or to the gym. And most of the time if you interact
           | with the police while out without your ID it isn't really a
           | problem.
           | 
           | But that is of course only reliably true if you're Dutch. The
           | right kind of Dutch, too. Autochtoon used to be considered
           | the polite term. (I always found it rather menacing
           | personally.)
           | 
           | If you have contact with a police agent and you're speaking
           | English or are brown, yeah, better have that ID.
           | 
           | Of course anyone can be in the wrong place at the wrong time
           | - maybe the agents the OP's friend approached were conducting
           | surveillance and interpreted an approach by a stranger
           | without ID as suspicious under the circumstances. But I have
           | also simply seen lots of differences in how police decide to
           | enforce the law based on whom they are dealing with.
        
             | abashedtemplate wrote:
             | your mind has been corrupted by US propaganda
        
               | HyperSane wrote:
               | What does the US have to do with The Netherlands required
               | people to have ID at all times?
        
               | hluska wrote:
               | You set up an entirely new account to insult someone's
               | thought process? That's very weak. Particularly because
               | the conversation is about a totally different country.
        
           | yieldcrv wrote:
           | Its interesting how generic "travel" advice is incompatible
           | with so many countries
           | 
           | the generic advice is "leave your passport locked at the
           | hotel so you dont get it stolen by pickpockets"
           | 
           | but also "never not have your passport on you because the
           | local government wants to check it at any time"
           | 
           | how do you all reconcile that on a day to day basis?
        
             | paulpauper wrote:
             | Traveling to foreign lands entails different rules and
             | customs, which means new possible risks. Too many people
             | think that their values or rules are universal. I think
             | this is a major cognitive blind spot. It's like traveling
             | to foreign lands with their different rules and customs is
             | not such a smart idea, overall. Error on the side of
             | caution.
        
               | yieldcrv wrote:
               | or just don't think your values and rules are universal
               | 
               | travel frequently changes my aspirations from being
               | exposed to things that I didnt know were options
               | 
               | there are a lot of developed nations out there now, I
               | dont know where your frame of reference is from, but some
               | of those developed nations are very far ahead of
               | superpowers in a variety of ways that could be beneficial
               | to you
        
               | krisoft wrote:
               | > it's like traveling to foreign lands with their
               | different rules and customs is not such a smart idea,
               | overall.
               | 
               | Jeez. That is the reason why it is a good idea. Go out,
               | and learn how similar or different other places are. Do
               | you want to always experience the same old, same old?
               | Yeah it causes an inconvenience sometimes, and good times
               | at others.
        
               | rjh29 wrote:
               | > too many people think that their values or rules are
               | universal.
               | 
               | That's why travelling is good?
        
               | WheatMillington wrote:
               | That is a bleak point of view.
        
               | AlecSchueler wrote:
               | I think we're just in this strange zone here in the EU,
               | where we all enjoy freedom of movement but the penalties
               | for not understanding the subtle differences between
               | states can be quite a shock if you're caught out.
        
             | savvo wrote:
             | Your passport is not the only form of ID; a driving licence
             | is easily kept in a wallet, pocket, money belt, ...
        
               | culopatin wrote:
               | A foreign drivers license is only valid when accompanied
               | by a passport.
        
             | HyperSane wrote:
             | Keep your passport in a hidden pocket no easily reachable
             | by pickpockets.
        
               | lambertsimnel wrote:
               | Although that helps to deal with pickpockets, can't
               | thieves still demand your passport at gunpoint/knife-
               | point, if they know the police require you to carry it?
        
             | aziaziazi wrote:
             | In my experience the general advice is : "Always carry with
             | you a copy printed of your passport while leaving the
             | original locked at the hotel".
        
               | culopatin wrote:
               | This is useless in any real situation. Gives you a false
               | sense of security but no one will take a copy seriously.
        
               | yieldcrv wrote:
               | agreed, looks like its down to "just have your passport
               | on you at all times as a primary form of ID"
        
         | robador wrote:
         | This pisses me off to no small amount (as a Dutchman). Yes, the
         | law says you have to be able to identity yourself, but you can
         | only be asked if there's a good reason. Not a lawyer, but
         | asking for directions is very much not a good reason (even when
         | not speaking Dutch).
         | 
         | Interestingly the English explanation is much more ambiguous
         | than the Dutch:
         | 
         | "These officials [police] may not ask to see proof of identity
         | without giving a reason. "
         | https://www.government.nl/topics/identification-documents/co...
         | 
         | Whereas in the Dutch version:
         | 
         | "De politie mag alleen uw identificatiebewijs vragen als daar
         | een goede reden voor is." Translation: "The police may only ask
         | for your identification if there's a good reason to do so"
         | Typical.
         | 
         | I would lodge a complaint:
         | https://www.politie.nl/onderwerpen/klacht-over-de-politie-in...
         | (page in Dutch)
        
         | HyperSane wrote:
         | That is very stupid.
        
         | rjh29 wrote:
         | Carrying a passport is a legal requirement in many countries,
         | especially common for tourists. But if I accidentally left it
         | in my hotel? I don't think I would get arrested on the spot.
         | Worst case they'd take me to the hotel so I could produce it.
         | 
         | I suspect there is more to this story - i.e. they had a reason
         | to think he was an illegal immigrant or on drugs or something -
         | of course that reason could be something racist or completely
         | unfounded, but I presume they don't just arrest anyone who
         | forgets their ID.
        
       | hknmtt wrote:
       | remember, the police's sole purpose is to punish crime, not to
       | prevent it. they don't care who they punish as long as they can
       | add your number to their statistics. they are NOT your friends.
       | that's just childhood brainwashing.
        
         | einpoklum wrote:
         | The police' main purpose is to protect the social order
         | internally, by enforcing social relations (foremost being
         | property and the authority of state institutions).
         | 
         | As for punishing crime - technically, the police is not
         | supposed to decide whether crimes have been committed, nor to
         | meet out out punishment for them. Really is a different thing,
         | of course - but even then, the punishment is for police-
         | undesirable behavior.
        
           | mrweasel wrote:
           | Not sure what the English term is, but Denmark operates with
           | the "three separations of power". Parliament makes the laws,
           | the police enforce them and the judicial system punished. The
           | police, for good and bad, is never suppose to decide whether
           | or not a law is right or wrong, how it's punished and to what
           | extend.
           | 
           | If the police have become a punishing force, or even make the
           | rules, then something has gone very wrong. Now even in
           | civilized societies things sometimes goes wrong, e.g. the
           | parliament provides police with too broad a framework to
           | operate within, in an attempt to be "tough on crime" or
           | attempt to dictate the framework of the judicial system to
           | ensure a minimum sentencing. It's just rare that the police
           | force itself is to blame. Blame mostly falls back to the
           | people writing the laws.
        
         | hyperman1 wrote:
         | The USA police is a bit of an exception here, being overly
         | militarized, not kept in check by judges and politicians, and
         | historically having a side job of fugitive slave catchers.
         | 
         | Around the world, the core job of the police is more: Restore
         | the public peace. They can forgive transgressions in public if
         | you demonstrate further disturbance of peace will cease.
         | 
         | They have to maintain a reasonable level of fairness, or they
         | get overrun by vigilantes. But as long as the illusion of
         | fairness holds good enough, they can and will crush powerless
         | people in the wheels of justice.
        
           | some_random wrote:
           | It's so funny reading this after scrolling past a bunch of
           | Western Europeans (what I assume you mean by "around the
           | world", since that's almost always what's meant) talking
           | about how they can be arrested for not carrying
           | identification on them at all times. As an American, it
           | sounds like your judges and politicians haven't even tried to
           | keep them in check.
        
             | avgcorrection wrote:
             | > a bunch of Western Europeans (what I assume [...] As an
             | American, it sounds like your judges and politicians
             | haven't even tried to keep them in check.
             | 
             | Wait, what? You don't know if this is a Western European
             | _thing_ but you just took that "from the rest of the
             | world"? I guess I could do the same: (1) I'm not from
             | America (the majority here), (2) I haven't experienced
             | bully police asking for id, so (3) I'll just _assume_ that
             | that's an American thing. How funny!
        
               | some_random wrote:
               | As a white American I also haven't really had any bad
               | experiences with cops, it's something commonly referred
               | to as "privilege". If you'd like to read about other
               | peoples experiences with police in Western Europe, here's
               | the start of that thread
               | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36372948
        
             | ozim wrote:
             | Unfortunately it is a mixed bag in Western Europe.
             | 
             | As I am above 30 and I look as I am now, adult, well off
             | person, I most likely would not even have to have ID on me
             | even when I am not in my native country.
             | 
             | That said, when I was 20-something and had short haircut
             | not having ID even in my native country could cause
             | trouble.
             | 
             | There are also places where Police is quite easy going like
             | medium cities around 100k. Mostly they have enough work not
             | to care for small infractions and are not overworked with
             | amount of shitty people.
             | 
             | In small cities it might be bad because they might not have
             | anything to do so they would hunt you down on some silly
             | stuff.
             | 
             | In big cities it might be bad because they have so many
             | shitty people to deal with so they just assume you are
             | shithead as well and treat you like one by default.
             | 
             | There are also places where rich people live and if you
             | look like you don't belong, guess what, even if you look
             | well off adult they might ask bunch of questions and Id if
             | you don't look like you belong in the neighborhood.
        
           | modeless wrote:
           | It's funny, I always hear about how US police are
           | militarized, but then when I go to Europe I see actual
           | military soldiers carrying assault rifles while doing what
           | seems to me like police duty all over the place in major
           | cities. That's not something I see here.
        
           | neural_thing wrote:
           | You have to be more specific than "around the world" here. I
           | grew up in a country where the "core job of the police" is to
           | extort bribes. My guess is that's pretty similar to the
           | experience of the majority of the people living today.
        
           | ajross wrote:
           | Corrupt law enforcement is hardly a US invention. That's
           | frankly just silly. In fact US police are... middle of the
           | pack at worst. It's true that there are some _policy_
           | implications in the US that seem weird, in particular the
           | level of weaponry deployed and the politicization of activist
           | slogans like  "Defund", but if anything that speaks to police
           | behavior in the US being more criticized and more
           | constrained.
           | 
           | America is fine, basically. Yes, cops are empowered bullies
           | who do bad things. But that's been true for thousands of
           | years. We're _farther_ down the path to trying to fix that,
           | not behind.
        
         | gumby wrote:
         | "No one likes a cop until they need one". Cops are not
         | inherently your foe, but that does not imply that they are in
         | any way inherently your friend, even when you are part of the
         | "in group".
         | 
         | In the US the relatively recent shift to use of the term "law
         | enforcement" both reflects and drives a self-destructive nature
         | in the broad culture.
         | 
         | Your insightful point, "The police's sole purpose is to punish
         | crime, not to prevent it" has several implications.
         | 
         | First is that even if you have a positive view of the cops (and
         | if you are not in an "out group" you should) you still should
         | follow this advice. If you're not chatting with your next door
         | neighbor the cop at a bbq, what you are is an unpleasant
         | barrier to getting their job done with a minimum of hassle.
         | Like you think of Jira or Confluence.
         | 
         | Another implication is to understand that their role, in
         | cultural norm, in who it attracts to the job, and simply the
         | cumulative impact of what they are exposed to, drives what I
         | will euphemistically call "destructive impact". We need cops
         | like we need the weather, but that doesn't mean we don't take
         | steps to deal with the destructive force of storms, and even to
         | minimize storm generation.
         | 
         | Unfortunately the US is in a phase where they think the more
         | brutality the better. In that the cops correctly reflect what
         | they are asked to do.
        
           | sneak wrote:
           | > _Cops are not inherently your foe_
           | 
           | From a game theoretical POV this is false; no good can come
           | from speaking to them, and only bad can.
        
             | mavhc wrote:
             | Report a crime, get crime solved - are you saying this has
             | never ever happened?
        
             | tharne wrote:
             | > From a game theoretical POV this is false;
             | 
             | Except we're not talking about game theory here, we're
             | talking about reality.
        
             | GolDDranks wrote:
             | How is that true? I've submitted some lost property reports
             | on a local police box, and at least once they've found it.
             | Clearly a positive outcome.
        
             | gumby wrote:
             | I won't categorically say the opposite, but I think your
             | statement is overwrought. If someone murdered your spouse,
             | or tried to run you down with a car, who are you going to
             | call?
             | 
             | In the first case at least they are surely going to suspect
             | you, so you should still be careful. But "no good can come
             | of it"?
        
               | sneak wrote:
               | My attorney. They can speak to the police on my behalf,
               | which would likely be necessary in the first scenario
               | (though it would yield no benefit to me).
               | 
               | In the latter case, I would not call them at all.
               | 
               | What good would police contact do in either of those
               | cases? In each instance they cannot help me.
        
               | AnimalMuppet wrote:
               | If someone tried to run me down with a car, what good can
               | the police do? Arrest the person before they try to kill
               | me again, that's what. Keeping me from dying is
               | definitely "helping me".
        
               | sneak wrote:
               | Unlikely. In the case you describe without additional
               | evidence they would have no basis for an arrest
               | (otherwise you could have anyone arrested arbitrarily by
               | accusing them of same). The police would likely only
               | involve themselves if they actually succeeded in running
               | you down. Even if there were video surveillance available
               | they aren't going to go get a warrant and review the
               | tapes because some guy came in accusing someone. It's
               | simply not how that works.
               | 
               | The police (in the USA) are reactive and respond after
               | crimes are committed, not before (unless they are
               | responding to social disorder requests, which is
               | generally unrelated to crime). Even then they choose
               | which crimes they deem worthy of responding to (the
               | classic example being rape victims being dissuaded from
               | proceeding with making a police report).
               | 
               | Most people have a mistaken mental model of how police
               | actually function. Most police officers are about as non-
               | proactive as you can get (except near the end of the
               | month when the traffic ticket quotas are due).
        
               | AnimalMuppet wrote:
               | Trying to run me down _is_ a crime - assault. (If they
               | hit me, it 's assault and battery.)
        
             | AnimalMuppet wrote:
             | Say someone is robbing houses in the neighborhood. If I
             | tell the cops as much as I know, maybe they find the perp
             | before _my_ house is robbed.
        
             | HyperSane wrote:
             | Even if your spouse or child was murdered and you know the
             | identity of the killer? This is a very silly statement.
        
               | sneak wrote:
               | What benefit would I see from talking to the police in
               | the scenario you describe?
        
       | PaulHoule wrote:
       | Note cops are trained to assume that cagey people could be
       | guilty. (1) I wonder if this guy wants to make more work for
       | himself and people in his profession, and (2) Black and White
       | people might get very different results from this and other
       | advice.
        
         | mplanchard wrote:
         | No matter who you are, talking to the police is a bad idea.
         | This is a constant piece of advice from every lawyer AND POLICE
         | OFFICER I've ever known. I have several cops in my family, and
         | they all advise to never talk to the cops.
        
           | everybodyknows wrote:
           | [flagged]
        
             | fknorangesite wrote:
             | Instead, please comment in good faith.
        
             | mavhc wrote:
             | Maybe if you text them that doesn't count as talking
        
             | CrampusDestrus wrote:
             | Way to purpusefully misunderstand a very simple proposition
        
               | tzs wrote:
               | There is a lot of evidence that it is not such a simple
               | proposition.
               | 
               | I've seen the submitted video discussed on a variety of
               | internet forums over the years, and in most of them there
               | were in fact a large number of people who take it as
               | really meaning that you should _never_ talk to police
               | without your lawyer present.
               | 
               | E.g., you are walking down the street, and see two people
               | arguing, one of then shoots the other, and then runs
               | away. A police officer who was nearby hears the shot,
               | comes over, and asks you which way the shooter ran. A lot
               | of people say they would not answer that question without
               | first consulting a lawyer.
               | 
               | Or you are in a building that collapses in an earthquake.
               | You make it out but several people do not. Some police
               | arrive, and manage to retrieve several people. They ask
               | some of the people who were in the building if anyone of
               | them know of anyone else who was in the building and is
               | not accounted for. A lot of people say they would need to
               | consult their lawyer before answering.
               | 
               | But there are also a lot of people who say it doesn't
               | apply in those situations. They think it means don't talk
               | to them when you are being questioned as a potential
               | suspect.
               | 
               | Given the empirically observed divergence on people's
               | understanding of what "don't ever talk to police without
               | a lawyer" means it is perfectly reasonable to ask
               | questions like everybodyknows asked.
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | Yeah I guess a lot of lawyers and criminal justice
               | advocates are really trying to get the point across that
               | you should never talk to the police in a situation in
               | which you could incriminate yourself, but which
               | situations that entails is much muddier and hard to
               | convey. I think it's probably better on balance for
               | people to bias more towards "never talk to the police,"
               | given how often people self-incriminate and how the vast
               | majority of most people's interactions with police are at
               | traffic stops.
               | 
               | But of course it's a thing with nuance. If you're being
               | questioned for no obvious reason, being questioned at a
               | traffic stop, or being questioned really about anything
               | other than a crime you were the victim of, it's probably
               | best to stay silent. Of course here "questioned" is doing
               | a lot of work. It in my mind doesn't apply to the kind of
               | "which way did he go," or "are there people still inside"
               | kinds of requests for quick information to help the
               | officer do something entirely unrelated to you.
               | 
               | But if a police officer is focusing on you and asking you
               | questions, I'd say that's when the advice kicks in for
               | sure.
        
             | c4mpute wrote:
             | You should call the police. But preferrably in a way that
             | cannot be traced back to you. Unfortunately, there aren't
             | any phone booths anymore...
        
             | mplanchard wrote:
             | Sure, in case it's necessary, the advice above applies
             | mostly in regards to talking to or being questioned by the
             | police in situations where they are acting in their
             | official capacity and in which you are not directly seeking
             | their immediate assistance. It also applies when talking to
             | police who are not acting in their official capacity about
             | any real or alleged crime that you may be involved in in
             | any way, no matter how tangentially.
        
               | everybodyknows wrote:
               | And what about witnessing a crime committed against some
               | complete stranger? Considering separately both the cases
               | of a crime in progress, and one recently completed?
               | 
               | Also considering whether the crime is accidental e.g.
               | hit-and-run, or professional, financially-motivated
               | actors. Recall that among the latter class are the white-
               | collar criminals capable of retaliation against
               | witnesses, and the reason we have white-collar
               | whistleblower protection laws.
        
               | mplanchard wrote:
               | Yeah exactly. There's enough nuance here that it would be
               | really nice to have a lawyer around to help you.
               | 
               | My take though is that there's a difference between being
               | questioned by the police and a police officer asking you
               | for directions or asking "which way did he go" while
               | chasing someone or something like that.
               | 
               | If I were a witness to a crime against someone else and
               | was giving a statement, I would absolutely insist on
               | having a lawyer present.
               | 
               | If I were a witness to an ongoing crime against someone
               | else and could point the police in the right direction to
               | stop it, I would of course do so.
        
         | boringuser2 wrote:
         | [flagged]
        
         | kmoser wrote:
         | While you have the right to remain silent, I remember reading
         | somewhere that you have to actively invoke that right (by
         | stating something like "I invoke my 5th amendment right to
         | remain silent") for your silence to be considered an invocation
         | of that right, and not merely suspicious behavior, an implicit
         | admission of guilt, or obstruction of justice.
         | 
         | This is actually reprehensible, since invoking a right should
         | mean actually engaging in it (e.g. remaining silent), with no
         | explanation necessary.
         | 
         | Another topic that everybody should know about is juror
         | nullification.
        
           | Sargos wrote:
           | >by stating something like "I invoke my 5th amendment right
           | to remain silent"
           | 
           | This needs to be rather structured as well as the cops can
           | ignore your statement unless it has a proper syntax and names
           | the 5th element directly. Example: "give me a lawyer dog"
           | doesn't cut it (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-
           | crime/wp/2017/11/02...)
        
           | sgjohnson wrote:
           | > Another topic that everybody should know about is juror
           | nullification.
           | 
           | Jurors who are aware of jury nullification are routinely
           | dismissed.
        
             | everybodyknows wrote:
             | Is it indeed routine to ask prospective jurors if they are
             | aware of the term?
             | 
             | Anecdata: I can see how it might be possible, based on my
             | own jury duty callup last month. Hundreds in the waiting
             | room, when individual trials did "go to jury", a secondary
             | lottery chose from the hundreds a batch of _more than 60_
             | to go for interview. So, the lawyers would be further
             | weeding out some 80%.
        
               | kmoser wrote:
               | Lawyer: "Are you aware of the phrase 'juror
               | nullification?'"
               | 
               | Potential juror: "I am now!"
        
               | woodruffw wrote:
               | > Is it indeed routine to ask prospective jurors if they
               | are aware of the term?
               | 
               | It probably varies, but it isn't routine where I live.
               | I've been called for voire dire and subsequent selection
               | a few times, and haven't ever been asked about
               | nullification.
               | 
               | (I think the majority of people get excluded based on
               | whether the trial's schedule would be an unreasonable
               | hardship/imposition, voluntarily disclosed conflicts of
               | interest, etc.)
        
             | AlbertCory wrote:
             | I saw this happen in a real trial.
             | 
             | It's more complicated than just saying "jury
             | nullification." You have to explain your beliefs.
        
           | dragonwriter wrote:
           | > While you have the right to remain silent, I remember
           | reading somewhere that you have to actively invoke that right
           | (by stating something like "I invoke my 5th amendment right
           | to remain silent") for your silence to be considered an
           | invocation of that right, and not merely suspicious behavior,
           | an implicit admission of guilt, or obstruction of justice.
           | 
           | This is, as I ubderstand it, incorrect on multiple levels.
           | First, all you need to do is shut up to exercise the right.
           | Second, no matter how you frame exercising the right, police
           | can and will treat it as suspicious.
           | 
           | You may be confusing the right to remain silent with the
           | right to have counsel present during questioning, which must
           | be explicilty invoked for questioning without counsel present
           | and its fruits to be excluded. They are separate, but related
           | (as invoking the right to counsel also narrows the ways
           | police can pressure you to waive the rightbto remain silent
           | without legally tainting anything they get out of it.)
        
             | owenmarshall wrote:
             | > This is, as I ubderstand it, incorrect on multiple
             | levels. First, all you need to do is shut up to exercise
             | the right.
             | 
             | Incorrect. The police can continue interrogation if you sit
             | quietly.
             | 
             | Also, it's possible to revoke your assertion of the 5th
             | after you have invoked it. If the police say you did, and
             | you say you didn't, who do you think the courts will
             | believe?
             | 
             | As such, most legal advice I have heard is to simply say "I
             | am not speaking until I get a lawyer." It is unambiguous
             | during interrogation, and it'll stand up well during any
             | suppression hearings.
             | 
             | > Second, no matter how you frame exercising the right,
             | police can and will treat it as suspicious.
             | 
             | "You can beat the time but you can't beat the ride."
             | 
             | If you are in a position where you are invoking these
             | rights you are already considered suspicious. You may be
             | arrested. You might be tried. But keep your eye on the
             | prize: your goal is to not get _convicted_.
        
             | jcranmer wrote:
             | > First, all you need to do is shut up to exercise the
             | right.
             | 
             | Actually, as I understand it, SCOTUS has said that merely
             | being silent is not the same as invoking your Fifth
             | Amendment right to remain silent. I think this
             | jurisprudence is complete bananapants, but the argument is
             | that you have to explicitly and unambiguously invoke your
             | Fifth Amendment right for it to kick in, and being silent
             | isn't an unambiguous invocation.
        
               | ccooffee wrote:
               | Correct.
               | 
               | You MUST EXPLICITLY invoke your fifth amendment right
               | against self-incrimination.
               | 
               | (Okay, there may be some edge cases where invoking the
               | fifth is implied, but SCOTUS has merely acknowledged that
               | these edge cases could exist, but to my knowledge has
               | never given rules for when it applies. Better safe than
               | sorry.)
               | 
               | e: see Salinas v Texas[0] for example
               | 
               | [0] https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/12-246#
               | writing...
        
               | PaulHoule wrote:
               | In a courtroom, yes.
               | 
               | https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/18/archives/krough-
               | pleads-5t...
        
       | 2023throwawayy wrote:
       | One of the best videos on the internet. A true classic with great
       | advice.
        
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