If you have been invited to a police station for an interview, or if you have been arrested, it is understandable that you will have a lot of thoughts going through your mind. Regardless of whether you committed the crime or not, this is going to be a particularly draining and testing time, and you may not know how to handle the situation. Depending on the severity of crimes you are potentially facing, there could be a massive impact on your life, so it is best to be aware of what may arise and how best to deal with the situation.
You have a range of rights when you are being interviewed in a police station, and again, you should be aware of these. The police should provide you with a run-down of these rights when being arrested, and you should feel free to ask what your rights are if these are not made clear to you.
You may even be talked to by the police in a manner that suggests that you don’t need to call on a solicitor when being questioned. They may inform you that you are intelligent enough to speak for yourself or that by calling on a solicitor; you will end up being delayed for a considerable period of time. It is important to remember that any officer saying things like this aren’t saying this for your benefit, they are saying it for theirs.
It may be that they are looking to interrogate you in a manner that you may respond to, giving them information to work on. When you have a solicitor at your side, they will be able to step in at certain points and they will ensure that the level of questioning being put to you is fair and reasonable.
The Police are Looking for Something from You
This isn’t to say anything negative or untoward with respect to the police force, but it is important to remember that if they are interviewing or interrogating you, they are doing so with a purpose in mind.
You will actually find that rather than matters taking a longer time to process due to the attendance of a solicitor, you may find that a solicitor being present can speed up the process. An experienced solicitor, once they are aware of your circumstances, will be able to chase matters up and put pressure on people. This is why calling on the services of an experienced solicitor can make all the difference when you are being questioned at a police station.
You need an Experienced and Relevant Solicitor
You will have the opportunity to call on a solicitor at no cost, which appeals to many people but it should be remembered that this may not be the best outcome for you in the long run. Given that there are many different areas of law, you want to call on the services of a solicitor that is experienced in dealing with police station interviews and who has experience in the area of law that is relevant.
An understanding of the relevant area of law is always going to be of benefit, and this is why you need to call on a firm that has a broad experience in legal matters. While there is a lot to be said for developing a relationship with one lawyer, and if you are regularly being interviewed with a particular type of crime, this can be of benefit, but it may help to call on the services of a firm as opposed to just one lawyer. This means that no matter what charges you are facing, there will likely be someone on hand with the experience and expertise you need to come across as best as you can during the interview situation.
Being questioned doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be charged and being charged doesn’t automatically mean that you are guilty of anything. However, the sooner you receive the support and backing of a professional solicitor, the better it will be for you.
If you find yourself being invited to a police station for an interview or you have been arrested, there is a need to call on the support of a relevant and experienced defence solicitor. This should be the first thing you ask for and you shouldn’t allow yourself to be interviewed until you have a professional by your side.
Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.