It is obviously not pleasant to become arrested, but bad things could occasionally happen in our lives. We could be charged with a criminal offense due to domestic violence, shoplifting, DUI and others. You should know how to act properly during and after an arrest. This will keep yourself protected, because obviously you are in a vulnerable situation. You should know that bad things will happen if you resist arrest or run away, even if you are wrongfully accused for doing things that you didn’t do. Even if you are actually innocent, you may still receive penalties of you resist an arrest. The problem can become even worse if you intentionally harm a police officer. It means that shoplifting and other misdemeanours could turn into a real felony if you try to hit an officer or try to escape. You should show that you are willing to be taken into custody and you need to follow all instructions calmly. You should also politely ask for a legal assistance immediately, before you do anything else.
Many people are wondering whether they should answer questions after being arrested. In the United States, the police officer will read the Miranda rights for you and suspects are allowed to remain silent. This is essential, because things that we do and say can be used against us during the legal proceeding. It is in our best interest to remain quiet and be compliant with the police officers. It is important to ensure that nothing can be used to incriminate us, because the legal system is more inclined to prove our guilt, instead of ensuring that we are innocent. So, it is far better to avoid saying anything that can give police officers. It is technically possible for you to try to convince the law enforcement agencies about your innocence. It means that you need to use your persuading skill and sheer logic. However, it is often more practical to leave the legal defense tasks to your lawyers. Police officers don’t really need to know whether you are guilty or not. You often need to do this, even if you believe that you have a strong convincing power.
Another thing to consider is whether you should give the law enforcement officer a permission to search your house. The answer is that you should never allow them to do that unless they have a search warrant. If they can’t show a warrant, they don’t have the right to search your property even if they ask nicely or offer very strong arguments. This is a basic fact and any police officer already knows it, so if you don’t allow them, you can be sure that they won’t pressure you to do that. In fact, your lawyer can make evidences found during unwarranted search rendered useless during the legal proceeding. In general, after being arrested, you should be fully compliant with the arresting officer and if you need to turn down any request, such as unwarranted search, you should do it politely. You should make sure that the police officer remains outside your property at all time, because once they go inside your property, they may use the opportunity to search or evidences.