The police are supposed to keep us safe from harm.  Government was allegedly instituted solely to protect our rights, integrity and freedom (all lies).  If this was true then Clover would be correct in his oft stated mantra, “if you ain’t doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about.”

I don’t believe that.  I have been in the system and around it.  Even now I can smell its faint odor of maliciousness.  Yuck!

A long time ago I penned a piece called How to Interact with the Police.  It was a short guide on protecting oneself from unnecessary prosecution.  I have given several speeches on the subject and advice innumerable to individuals over the years.  In short, just don’t talk to them.  They are necessarily your friends.

Many cops do a great job enforcing the law while preserving individual freedoms.  Many others do not.  Consult YouTube for countless abuses of police power in America.  Half of the videos there concern people who know and assert their rights and successfully escape the dragnet of police corruption.  The other half are of innocent people tased, arrested or murdered by the police, usually for nothing.

In most of those latter cases the “suspect” either invited the police into his life or answered their questions.  Don’t do either.  There is a reason you have the right to remain silent.  This is one commonality between police reality shows and police drama shows (both big hits in Amerika).  The suspect always breaks down and confesses or says enough for the police to link him to a crime.  This happens in real life too. Oftentimes, the only evidence the cops have of any wrongdoing is the defendant’s statement or admission.  Don’t do their job for them.

Don’t talk and you’ll likely walk.

As for calling them or inviting them into your home – never do it.  Police are like vampires.  They usually need permission to enter but once inside they proceed to destroy. Again, don’t help them.

My friends over at LewRockwell.com have posted another grand article on this topic – a video with instructions.  Both are worth a review.  Know your rights when dealing with the government’s armed agents.

(Don’t be cornered.)

This problem of malicious police exploration can effect anyone, even the police.  A friend of mine, an agent with a powerful federal police agency, called me recently.  He knows I no longer actively practice criminal defense but he wanted my unofficial opinion anyway. He happens to be a lawyer himself, by the way.

It seems his agency is conducting some internal investigation into something trivial, something which does not involve my friend.  However, despite his doing nothing wrong, for some reason he seemed to have something to worry about.  Explain that, Clover.

Given his position, his predicament may be a little more nuanced than that of the average citizen.  However, knowing very little, all I could advise him was to say nothing. If the matter concerns written records, then the investigators will have them to review. Let the record speak for itself.  There is no need to explain or expand anything.  Such actions might lead in a direction no rational person could foresee.

I told him, “You know how you guys are.”  He seemed a little offended by the statement but sheepishly agreed with me.  Investigators are usually on a fishing expedition and not using some concrete science as portrayed on television.  They need a suspect (or witness) to tell them something in order to have any chance of prosecuting anyone. Don’t be that someone.  Don’t effectively prosecute yourself.  Don’t talk.