When you have been charged with a crime, authorities will say they have an abundance of evidence proving your guilt. However, that may or may not be the case in most situations. In fact, it is not uncommon for authorities to have very little evidence against you. Yet if they can make you believe otherwise, they are hoping you will give them a confession and additional details, even if you know you are not guilty of whatever it is of which you have been accused. But at some point, you will be able to see the evidence the government has against you. When this happens, you should have a New Jersey defense attorney working on your case to make sure each and every one of your constitutional rights are protected from the beginning of your case to its conclusion.
Don’t Tamper with the Evidence
Once you have a chance to see what evidence is being used against you, under no circumstances should you try to tamper with the evidence so that you will appear innocent. Whether or not you are actually innocent, tampering with the evidence will make it appear to authorities as if you are definitely guilty, not to mention give them the chance to now charge you with evidence tampering. No matter how upset you may be at what you see, don’t mess with the existing evidence. Instead, allow your defense attorney to examine it and how it relates to the charges against you. Since police often tamper with evidence themselves to gain convictions, your attorney will know exactly what to look for and how to use what they’ve seen to plan your legal strategy.
Don’t Take a Plea
In many cases when police pull out the evidence they have against you and show it to you, they are doing so in hopes of intimidating you and convincing you to take a plea right then and there. If you cave in to their pressure and make this critical mistake, you will have almost no chance of ever proving your innocence. As a result, you may have sealed your legal fate and should start planning on how you will adjust to life in a prison cell. To avoid this scenario, say as little as you can to authorities until you have contacted the Spodek Law Group and hired one of our attorneys to assist with your case. Once police and others know you have legal representation, they may back off a bit and give you the time you need to work with your lawyer on defense strategies.
Don’t Lie About the Evidence
Upon seeing the evidence being used against you, don’t make a bad situation worse by lying about it to investigators. If you do, you make yourself look more guilty than ever, and may even open the door for police to add charges of making false statements to your already complex legal situation. Instead of trying to lie your way out of the situation, simply accept what they have presented and allow your New Jersey defense lawyer to begin talking on your behalf.
Don’t Talk to Others About the Evidence
If you are facing certain allegations from police but have not yet been arrested and charged with a specific crime, you may want to start talking about your situation with family members and friends, both in-person or online. However, this is one of the worst mistakes you can make. For starters, if you are under federal investigation, you are not allowed to speak to friends or family members about the investigation. Also, since authorities may also decide to interview those closest to you, any communication you have had with them will be fair game to investigators. Thus, if you have spoken to others about the evidence authorities have against you, subpoenas can be issued to force your family members and friends to testify against you if necessary.
Always Remember You Have Rights
Although authorities are bearing down hard on you and hoping you will crack under the pressure upon seeing various examples of their evidence, always remember to stay calm and use your common sense in these situations. In addition, remember that you live in the United States of America and are entitled to certain constitutional rights when facing criminal charges. From not having to incriminate yourself to being allowed the presence of an attorney during questioning, these and other rights are there for your protection. Therefore, no matter how much or little evidence authorities say they have about your case, use your good judgement to hire New Jersey defense lawyers from the Spodek Law Group.
Whether you are facing misdemeanor or felony charges, take them and the evidence against you seriously. To obtain excellent legal representation, schedule a consultation with seasoned attorneys at the Spodek Law Group