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Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

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Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#72

about IRS at 7:30 what does it mean "won't talk to them without immunity"? Should I state this when they ask me some questions?

Because talking to them on even the smallest matter can land you in trouble, since lying to federal agents is a crime.

TurboTax has this audit defense insurance add-on when you submit your taxes. If you read the verbiage, it explicitly states DO NOT answer any questions under any circumstances, and defer them to the audit defense. Don't even answer "How is the weather over there?"

It's best to have some representation when dealing with the IRS or any federal agency. As the video continues on to show, Martha Stewart was convicted for lying because she decided to talk first and deny involvement before lawyering up.

Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#73
post #63
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I get arrested and say "I want a lawyer". What lawyer do I get? A random public defender? A private defender? If it's private defender, am I able to ask for another lawyer if the fees are too high? Will that lawyer refer me to another more specialized lawyer later on?

I always wonder this when people bring this up. Am I a weirdo for not having a lawyer on retainer at all times? That doesn’t sound like something that would be affordable for most people. And quite frankly, I don’t even know how I’d go about looking for or evaluating a lawyer.

You're not a weirdo, but you would be a weirdo for not having, say, insurance (health/car/home/whatever). Unfortunately, the world is such that we're coming to the point where this just needs to be another item on the checklist.

People find the resources to cover the things they need, and lawyers aren't all crazy unaffordable.

Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#74
post #4

tbqh i'm more worried about being gunned down by the police than being arrested or being searched at this point. exhibit A: https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/939014159726870530 (warning to system-believers: the link contains video of police executing a prone, face down, unarmed, nonviolent, nonresisting, white male; the officer was acquitted)

I don't think I can watch this video, but I would like to know what happened. Can someone perhaps provide a "transcript"?

I watched the video and read some background, basically my understanding is that the entire series of events went like this, at a high level:

The guy in the hotel room had been showing someone his pellet gun. Someone saw this through the hotel room window, thinking it was a real gun, and called the cops.

The cops arrived, expecting someone armed and dangerous. They seem really amped up on adrenaline.

A woman and the man come out of the hotel room, and the cop with the assault rifle screams at them to get down on the ground. They comply, but seem scared and confused. The cop asks if they are drunk, which they deny. He asks if they'll be able to understand all his commands, and they say yes. He keeps screaming at them and cutting them off when they try to talk.

The woman follows instructions and is successfully cuffed and taken away. The man tries to comply, but is sobbing and appears drunk. The cop gives him some (what seemed to me) not entirely clear instructions, and then tells the man to crawl toward him. After about 5 feet the man seems to lose his balance and try to pull up his pants, at which point the cop repeatly shoots him.

At the end the two cops try to get in to the hotel room, but the key cards they are given don't work. The second cop drops a key card after trying it a handful of times, picks it up, and keeps trying, seemingly extremely agitated. The video then cuts out.

Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#76
post #55

This is probably too extreme. Andrew Branca recommends [1] to "say little" rather than to "say nothing". [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/CCW/comments/5sicm5/the_law_of_self...

The link doesn't explain anything about his argument except that it's in his book. What does "say little" entail and why does he recommend that?

Also, from the context it seems to be about what to do after a self-defense shooting - is his advice specific to that context, or a general argument?

Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#77
It's not as simple as he makes it out to be. He breaks the problem down into an issue of protecting or violating your innocence.

It would be a real shame (and possibly illegal) if your friend just got shot in the head, and police asked you "which way did the shooter flee?" and you reply that you need to confer with your lawyer before answering any questions.

Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#78

about IRS at 7:30 what does it mean "won't talk to them without immunity"? Should I state this when they ask me some questions?

It's a good way to find out if they were lying when they said you aren't a suspect. You should ask for it if their claim is that they want to talk to you about someone else's behavior. If they want to talk about your behavior, find a lawyer.

Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot of countries have the ability to hold your silence against you. Thankfully this isn't the case in the US.

False, since 2013, when the Supreme Court held that remaining silent wasn't sufficient to invoke your right to remain silent. "suspect did not sufficiently invoke the right to remain silent when he stubbornly refused to talk:" http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudenc...

The particulars of that case matter though.

In this case, the suspect had spoken to the police, and during this didn't respond to a certain question / responded to the question with silence. If I recall correctly, the court reasoned that by first speaking, he gave up his right to remain silent. Moreover, he responded by silence rather that actively asserting his right to remain silent.

Not to say I agree with the ruling, especially because he was never mirandized. However, it is not clear cut that simply remaining silent isn't enough to assert your right against self-incrimination.

Re: Don't Talk to the Police (2012)

#80

Is the hidden motive here to sell lawyer services? This is a lawyer on a long and powerful rant about how you shouldn't do X without a lawyer. I'm not saying that this makes the point less valid, but beware that people are always better equipped to make powerful arguments when that argument aligns with their source of income.

He also gives several very clear examples of why this is the better course of action. Skepticism is good, but this is like looking for hidden motive when your doctor tells you to not swallow random pills without consultation.
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