When faced with police questioning in connection with a possible crime, many people think that cooperating immediately will set the right tone, help them obtain a “lighter” punishment. While cooperating during an investigation may be helpful at times, doing so without the assistance of an experienced criminal defense attorney is not generally advised.
It is more than acceptable to enforce your right to remain silent when being questioned until you have an attorney by your side. Without their guidance, you could inadvertently cause yourself more trouble than necessary. During questioning over a drunk driving incident, one New Jersey resident’s response may remind drivers that it is ok to request representation first.
On Tuesday, August 30, Maryland police received an emergency call that there was someone stranded on the top of a truck on a flooded road. When officers arrived, they found a man that they suspected had been drinking when he drove around a “Road Closed” sign on Route 47 at approximately 10:15 in the evening.
When they questioned him about driving while intoxicated, the man became flustered and said that his cousin was driving the vehicle. His story was told through the assistance of an interpreter. It is unclear whether or not there was some miscommunication, but emergency firefighters conducted an expensive search including helicopter assistance to find the non-existent man.
Police ended the search after the man cleared up the confusion over the missing man. The police then arrested the man and charged him with not only driving while intoxicated, but also with hindering apprehension.
Source: nj.com, “Man drives into Franklin Township flood waters, triggers search for non-existent ‘cousin,’” Aug. 31, 2011