You may not have asked to be put in this position, but you may have found yourself at a scene where a criminal act was committed. The victim of the crime may ask for your contact information, hoping you may testify on their behalf in a future criminal trial proceeding. But also, the law enforcement officers who respond to the scene may ask if they can interview you to figure out what happened and who is to blame. Though it might be difficult, you should fulfill your duty as an upstanding citizen who can help an innocent victim achieve justice in any capacity. So, for this, please continue reading to learn how to best prepare for a police interview as a witness and how one of the experienced New Jersey & Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C., can advocate for you and counsel you at this time.
As a witness, how can I prepare for an interview with a police officer?
If you get called to a local police station to answer further questions on your knowledge of an ongoing criminal case, whatever you do, you must remain calm. Remember, you are only a witness being interviewed, not a suspect being interrogated. All you need to do is focus on the facts of what you remember about the incident, and remember that it is okay to pause to recollect your memory or refrain from answering if you do not entirely remember. This may have been a traumatic event for you, so a police officer will understand if you have blocked it out or get emotional trying to talk about it. Also, it is advisable not to compare notes with other witnesses before your interview, as you may confuse their subjective memories with what you witnessed happen.
As a witness, am I allowed to exit a police interview at any time?
To help you get through this stressful process, you are allowed to ask a police officer to give you intermittent breaks. But even after these breaks, you may be too overwhelmed to proceed calmly. Or, you may believe that you have shared every conceivable memory already, and there is not much help you can offer the officer for their investigation. Under these circumstances, you may be permitted to ask to exit the interview. Remember, this is a voluntary interview, and you are not being held under police custody or under a formal arrest. However, you must handle this exit properly. This is because if you disappear unannounced and stop responding to an officer’s outreach, they may have reason to believe you conspired or participated in the criminal act.
As soon as you find yourself in potential legal trouble, you must retain representation and advisement from one of the experienced New Jersey & Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. Of note, we may serve as your witness or victim advocates. You should not have to put up this fight alone; we are here to help you.
