Your Syracuse Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Role During the Police Investigation

Your Syracuse criminal defense lawyer can play a crucial role in ensuring the police do not overstep their authority in conducting certain investigatory inquiries after your arrest and that you do not inadvertently make statements that will jeopardize your defense.

Bail Interview

The purpose of your bail interview is for the authorities to collect pedigree information from you and learn about your ability to pay any bail set in your case. While a question during your bail interview may seem relatively innocuous, it may pose a risk of eliciting incriminating information from you. For instance, if you are arrested because of illegal activity at your workplace, merely acknowledging where you work can be incriminating. If you are accused of identity theft, stating your true name can be incriminating.

Because of the inherent risk of self-incrimination in a bail interview, it is in your best interest to have your Syracuse criminal defense lawyer present to guide you through this porcess. He can take the following actions to protect your rights:

  • Advise you not to answer incriminating questions
  • Prevent you from providing harmful answers to reasonable questions
  • Halt the interview if it turns into an interrogation

Permissible Police Investigation

Even when police are carrying out legally authorized investigation of the charges against you, your Syracuse criminal defense lawyer can take steps to limit the investigation and minimize the risk that you will unnecessarily offer harmful information. For instance, if the police collect blood and handwriting samples from you, your attorney can ensure that the police follow valid procedures in collecting the samples and that you do not make any incriminating statements during the collection process. If you are subject to a line-up, your Syracuse criminal defense attorney can prevent the police from using suggestive procedures to cause the witness to identify you. Often, your attorney’s mere presence deters police misconduct during an investigation.

Your Syracuse Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help

There are many legal protections individuals subject to arrest, and a Syracuse criminal defense lawyer help you avail yourself of those protections. For a free consultation, please contact Steve Buitron, Esq. at (315) 422-1080.