Page 232 - Beers With Our Founding Fathers
P. 232
Beers with our Founding Fathers
your Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination without being advised of
your rights); however, the courts have held that the element of
being under arrest is not present. As another example, you are
having a dispute with your spouse in your home. The neighbors call
and the police respond to a domestic dispute – a precarious (and
nothing routine) assignment for them. In talking to you, they ask if
they can come in. You should decline – once inside, they can note
any criminal violations or evidence in their plain view. This can be
used should you be arrested, to support probable cause for a search
warrant or arrest warrant, etc. If you are asked to step outside, you
probably should – for officer safety and protecting your rights. You
can cooperate without fully cooperating.
In the event of an arrest, or what you believe to be a pending
arrest, you should exercise your right to be silent and consult an
attorney. If you remember that law enforcement’s legal duties are
to react to crimes and investigate crimes to be prosecuted, and you
have full knowledge of your rights – beginning here, the Fourth
Amendment, where all criminal investigations and your rights begin,
you will better protect the rights of you and your family against
wrongful and malicious prosecution. These are your sacred rights –
treat them as you would all others.
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