I wasn't a lawyer at the time, although I had passed the bar exam. I am a lawyer now. I don't practice criminal law and don't consider myself fit to advise criminals or people suspected of crimes.

I never told anyone to answer questions from police. Not sure where you are getting that. I'm asking for your opinions and I am getting them. Reading comprehension.

Did you read my post? What utter nonsense if you did. I clearly said the advice relates to when you are suspected of committing a crime.

how do you know if you are a suspect or not before talking?

why would you assume you are a suspect and not talk if a cop asks "were you in portland last weekend?" but not "where were you yesterday when little billy was last seen?"

But we are being told that we will not know the difference between being a suspect vs a witness.

You often don't, which is why it's good advice to contact a lawyer if that possibility exists. There is nothing wrong with asking "can I ask what this is about?" before answering questions, though you can't always expect them to answer that truthfully. No harm, and sound advice, to get the contact details for the police officer, contact a lawyer and have them contact the Police and ask what it's about. Everyone seems desperate to save a couple hundred bucks by contacting a lawyer, when their liberty is possibly at risk...I really don't get it.

A better point to make is how are you going to answer:

"Yes I saw a white van driving around the block a few times watching the children play"

When you stonewall them when they first ask you:

"Were you home or in the neighborhood between 3-6PM"

You often won't know that....which is again why it's so important not to answer questions, get their contact details or provide them with the contact details for your lawyer, and then act on your lawyer's advice. Gambling with your liberty is just plain stupid.

because if theres a group of people that most of us trust as little as police its lawyers

so in fact you are saying that if a kid goes missing you wouldnt answer any questions without a rendezvous with legal help and dragging everyone back to the station in a couple hours because there is a microscopic chance somehow you will get blamed for the crime

if Im on a jury that is extremely suspicious behavior

I'm sorry...I've obviously misunderstood. Please accept my sincere apology.

If it goes to a jury, then you obviously were a suspect! And juries are told not to hold the fact you exercised your right to silence against you.

I don't say "trust all lawyers"...in fact, if you are facing charges, my advice would be to choose your lawyer carefully....some are much better than others. However, when your liberty is possibly on the line, only a fool doesn't follow an experienced criminal lawyer's advice to not answer questions.

And I stand by my earlier statement, if there is the possibility you are suspected of having committed a crime, obtain a lawyer and follow their advice.

Argh...again, I stand by my earlier statement...if there's a possibility you are or will be suspected of committing a criminal offence, contact a lawyer and follow their advice.

For all you know when you answer that question, you are their top suspect...a number of neighbours have told police they see you leering at children all the time, and 3 of them will swear up and down that they were in their front yard all day and no van drove by.

If however, you know the other neighbours have already reported the van to the police, then you probably have no reason to suspect you are or ever will be a suspect.

Okay, if your stance is you should never talk to cops unless your the victim or an obviously safe witness, why didn't you just say that in the first place? That's great, because that makes you a perfect person to help out with my main point of posting ITT.

If you would never put yourself at risk by talking to police, then you should expect and be fine with no one helping you out if your the victim..

Are you honestly going to tell me if your house was broken into, you would be fine with the neighbor who was home all day not talking to cops? If you were kidnapped you would be fine with the neighbors taking 48hrs to lawyer up first?

That is my whole point.. Its scary to think that when I actually need someone to step up and help me, I might find out its you.

You still haven't answered how people would know if they are a suspect, technically there is always some tiny possibility which brings us right back to where we were before with "never talk".

Sounds like a ploy to spread paranoia and get people to pay for attorneys they don't need. There's a nonzero chance I could be hit with stray gunfire while walking but I'm not going to buy a bulletproof vest.

Another thing to think about..

Is a lawyer telling to that you need a lawyer any different than a car salesman telling you that you need a new car?

ok so, a month ago I was going out and was carrying all the beer and when I walked back from the frat house I happened to keep the beer with me in my book-bag and I'm >21, I also live in the worst state to get caught with beer under-aged and I got caught, I talked with the cop though because running was impossible plus, he was in a rover. I decided not to lie and to tell him the truth after he asked me what was in the bag after he checked my I.D., I got in the back and saw this ****ing m4 in the middle of the driver & passenger seat, that was nice

he told that had one of the other pigs picked me up, I could be facing a 250usd fine plus community service and **** tons of stupid classes with a maximum penalty being a 1000usd fine and six actual months in prison (lol america) but, this cop was real nice and because I didn't lie he drove me over to a few dumpsters and made me spill the beer in the sewer and toss the cans/bottles in the trash. I got effing lucky because I told the truth and was nice with this cop but, this guy was just a cop not damn secret service agents so, I still won't be talking to any actual agents about something serious w/o a lawyer.