If you learn that you are a person of interest in a criminal investigation, your first instinct might be to panic. Will you be charged with a crime? What if you get arrested? Will you have to go to jail? There are a lot of unknown elements of this situation that might scare you.

But, it is important that you try to face this news calmly. Just because you are a person of interest does not mean that you will be charged with a crime. Knowing that you face legal issues can help you get a jump start on preparing for them. Here, you can learn more about being a person of interest in a case.

Person of Interest

We’ve touched on this throughout our website, but you should know that you do not have to answer any questions that the police or other investigators ask you if if you are a person of interest. So long as you have not gotten charged with a crime, you can say no to an interrogation. If the police keep asking for an interview, you should contact an attorney to help protect you.

Oftentimes, police officers will say that they are trying to help you and it is in your best interest to talk to them. This is rarely the case, particularly if you are a person if interest in a case. So you should never answer questions until an arrest takes place. You might think that you are being nice and cooperating with the police, but they will most likely use any answers against you.

Police officers can and will lie to you to try to get a confession out of you. Don’t help these officers do their job! You can politely tell the police officers that you have no comments for them at this time and that any future questions that they have should be forwarded to your lawyer. This will keep you from saying anything incriminating. Also, it will show the police that you are not trying to be rude, you are just exercising your right not to speak with them.

Getting Help

If you find yourself in this situation, it is a good idea to hire a criminal defense lawyer. Such a lawyer can advise you on the best course of action. For more information, you can contact our office. We can protect you during the pre-arrest process. If you are arrested, we can also protect your rights and build a defense for you.