What do I do if the police arrest me?

Whether you are attending as a volunteer or under arrest it will always make sense to have a legal adviser present with you.

Why?

To assist you extract evidence from the police. For instance unless you have a Solicitor you will probably not get to see any CCTV evidence that might exist against you – a Solicitor is usually shown it.

A Solicitor will know what questions to ask the police e.g. have any witnesses made statements? Has the alleged injured party been examined and what were the results of the examination?

To ensure that you are properly advised as to your rights rather than relying on the Police who will tell you to do what suits them best.

Request a call back

But I’m not guilty

It does not matter if you have commit-Ted the offence or not, seeking legal advice and representation is not an indication of guilt - it is, in effect, an insurance policy. You will be advised what
to do and why the advice has been given, but you can then choose what to do.

Won’t the police help me?

Yes. They’ll probably tell you to admit to the offence. They’ll probably tell you that getting a Solicitor causes delays. They’ll probably tell you that all they want is to hear your side of the story and they’ll help you sort it out in court – if it gets to court.

The police have arrested you because they think that you have committed the offence. They want you to admit it because it makes life easier.

Sometimes saying nothing is what is in your best interests because answering questions may mean that you will end up being charged with an offence that does not re-quire the complainant to attend court.

But I’ll be locked up for longer if I get a solicitor

We have to attend the police station within 45 minutes of being told the interview is to take place. The police enquiries and consideration of evidence and planning of the interview cause delay. Many clients tell us that they are told that getting a Solicitor can cause delay – and they spend hours in the cells anyway. A cynical person might think that some police officers don’t want a suspect to have a Solicitor with them in an interview.

So what do I do?

When you are arrested tell the police that you want Emmersons Solicitors to represent you. The police will then contact the Defence Solicitor Call Centre who will contact us. We will then find out when you are to be interviewed and attend then. If you are arrested for breach of bail or on a warrant or for drink driving or any other minor offences you may have to take advice from CDS Direct. If you are interviewed you are entitled to have us rep-resent you in an interview – so you should make that very clear to the police.

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For more information ask to speak to Michael Robinson on:

Criminal Law Solicitors - Newcastle:   0191 284 6989

Criminal Law Solicitors - Sunderland: 0191 567 6667

Or complete our Online Enquiry Form

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Available 24/7 for free police station help and advice

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