Keeping Your Rights Protected When Charged with a Criminal Offense

March 27, 2020
man accused in crime

There are few things worse in life than being accused of a crime. Regardless of whether or not the accusation is correct, your life will be changed. It is important, then, that you ensure that your rights are protected. According to the Fairfax VA criminal defense attorney at Rudolphi Law, keeping your rights protected is absolutely an active process.

The truth is that you are the person who has to put in most of the work to protect your own rights. From the moment a law enforcement officer comes in contact with you, you need to be mindful of your rights and how to protect them. First and foremost, you are under no obligation to answer any questions from a law enforcement officer. This does not give you license to be difficult, offensive, or hostile to a police officer. Rather, it merely means that you have the right to choose not to respond to questioning. If you choose to exercise this right, be sure to make it very clear to the officer that you are invoking your right to remain silent. Be police but be direct.

Another important right is your right to have counsel present for any police questioning. The intuitive reaction to this right is that it would be helpful to have a Fairfax VA criminal defense attorney from Rudolphi Law help you during questioning. However, what is more important about invoking this right is that, unlike choosing to remain silent, a police officer is required to cease all attempts at questioning when a person states that they will not answer any questions without a lawyer present. Again, be polite but be direct.

It is important to note that if you seek out the law enforcement officer to talk or say something incriminating without it being solicited by the officer, it can still be used against you. The best course of action is to invoke the rights described above and stay the course until you can consult with a Fairfax VA criminal defense attorney at Rudolphi Law.

Protection of your rights does not stop at the preventative measures you should take. It is an ongoing process. At Rudolphi Law, we strive to take every measure possible to keep our clients protected throughout the criminal justice process. Contact a Fairfax criminal defense attorney at Rudolphi Law today to learn more.