Friday, October 28, 2016

How To Interact With The Police After Being Pulled Over

Needless to say, in case you are a typical law abiding citizen, who never broke any legal regulations, you do not have any experience at interacting with the law enforcement representatives. That is right – most people, who never had to deal with police officer before, will be genuinely frightened as well as nervous and anxious in case they will be pulled over by a cop car. Even if they know that what they did was a minor infraction, they may still be scared and will not know how to react. Well, if that is the case, we simply cannot help but recommend you to definitely learn more about some of the possible ways you should talk to the police. Keep in mind – you have your legal rights and it is very important that you use them properly.

One way or the other, it is obvious that you will be stressed. Right when you will see the police lights in the rear mirror, you will begin to frantically think about the things you may have done wrong. You will begin to think how you can justify your actions and will become even more nervous in the process. This is where it is very important, crucial even, not to let the stress take over you. Here are some things you will need to keep in mind in order to make your interaction with the police as stress free as possible:

  • First of all, look around to find the safest area for you to pull over. It is best to find a spot, where the police car will be able to pull over behind you without any problems. In addition, if you are driving at night, try and find a space with plenty of light. These actions will demonstrate to the law enforcement officers that you are taking their safety into serious consideration. 

  • Do not forget to turn on your turn signal, slow down and proceed to pulling over. 
  • Make sure to get your keys from the ignition. Put them on the dashboard for the police officers to see. 
  • Do not be stressed, try to relax and take a couple of deep breaths. 
  • Roll down the window from your side. 
  • In case it is dark, do not forget to turn on the interior lights. 
  • Keep in mind that all of your movements will need to be slow and you will not want to move frantically, so the police officer would not suspect that you are trying to reach for a weapon or perhaps are attempting to hide something. 
  • It is best to put your hands on the steering wheel, without trying to reach for something. 
  • Once the law enforcement officer will approach the vehicle, allow him or her to speak first. In the vast majority of cases the police officer will want to see your license as well as your registration. 
  • Get your license and registration slowly, without any sudden movements, hand them over to the police officer and place your hands back on the steering wheel. 
  • Remember to be polite and to answer any kind of question the officer will ask you. 
  • Follow the officer’s orders and do what he or she tells you. 

Sure enough, being pulled over by the law enforcement officer is stressful one way or the other. Nevertheless, in case you are going to be following the above-mentioned rules, there is a bigger chance that it will not turn into an unpleasant experience.

On TV as well as in the movies we have seen a million times that the law enforcement officers are required to have a special search warrant in order to search a house or any kind of property. This is a very accurate fact and the police may get a warrant to search one’s residence or office in case they have a reasonable cause. This means that they will have the right to search the house, the office and even any cars that may be parked on the property. The law enforcement officers in these cases will need to knock, announce that they are with the police (unless the warrant specifies that they have the right to enter the property unannounced) and may even have the right to use force in order to enter. In addition, the police officer is not obligated to demonstrate the warrant to the occupants of the property. This is why it is essential to know your rights.

Nevertheless, the law enforcement officers do not have the right to search any person found on the property. Not unless there is probable cause and reasons to believe that the person or group of people is dangerous and poses and actual threat.

The following are the requirements for issuing a search warrant in the state of California:

  • The property was embezzled or stolen 
  • The property may contain child pornography 
  • There is an active warrant that was issued for a person’s arrest 
  • A deadly weapon, such as a firearm was used on the scene 
  • A person with mental disorders possesses a weapon 
  • An individual with a restraining order or on probation possesses a weapon and does not want to release it 
  • The investigator has managed to demonstrate a probable cause to the judge 

Also, do not forget about the Miranda rights that go as follows:

  • The right to remain silent 
  • Anything you are going to say or do may and will be used against you in the court of law 
  • You have the right to be represented by an attorney 
  • In case you are unable to afford the attorney, a public lawyer will be appointed to you 
  • Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you? 

One way or the other, in case you or perhaps your loved ones were charged with some kind of crime and do not know what to do next, the best solution would be getting in touch with a qualified as well as genuinely experienced legal representative at the earliest opportunity.

Law Offices of Chicago DUI Experts

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