Originally Published January 28th, 2020
If you want to find out if the police are investigating you, one thing to keep in mind is that they wouldn’t do it in secret. In fact, they will even use their power to force you to tell the truth.
Here are some ways to find out if the police are investigating you.
POLICE AT YOUR DOORSTEP
Most of the time, police will come knocking on your door if you’re under investigation. Officers are usually straight to the point and will identify themselves. These men will ask you if you could talk to them. If that happens, then you’re probably under investigation.
SEARCH WARRANT
A search warrant is a legal document that authorizes an officer to enter and search premises.
This is actually a common way for the police to investigate people. If a police officer shows up at your door and gives you a search warrant, then you are under investigation.
Police usually need to carry out a search warrant to enter and search at your house legally.
TARGET LETTER
This is a letter that you could receive from the US Attorney’s Office saying that you are the “target” or the subject of an investigation.
If you receive a target letter, this could only mean that the grand jury has substantial evidence against you.
Inside the target letter, it will tell you to come to the prosecutor’s office and talk. It will also tell you your rights, such as your right to have a lawyer and your right to remain silent. However, this can lead to your indictment.
SUBPOENA
A subpoena is a document that requires you to appear in court as a witness.
If you receive this, it doesn’t mean that you’ve done something wrong. It might be because you may have documents or any other pieces of evidence that are valuable to the court.
However, it’s crucial to know that you can’t just ignore a subpoena, for you can be charged with contempt of the law.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN YOU FOUND OUT THE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING YOU
Once you receive anything mentioned above, it’s essential to be cautious and know what to do next.
Here are some things you should know to help you on what you should do next when police are investigating you.
CREDIBILITY DOESN’T MATTER.
Whether you have previous criminal records or not, it doesn’t matter. The prosecutors will still look at the evidence and see what they can prove. But, your credibility somehow affects how your case will be decided.
For instance, if you’re a law-abiding citizen, then your sentence will be more likely in minimum.
Your credibility won’t help to determine whether you’re guilty or innocent. However, it will affect how you will be treated once you’re found guilty.
DO NOT SPEAK TO THE POLICE WITHOUT A LAWYER
Talking to the police or with the feds without a lawyer is a big no. It would be best if you don’t do that. You have the right to remain silent, so use that to your advantage.
If police went to your house and ask you questions, odds are they don’t have strong evidence against you yet. Remember that, the grand jury only has strong evidence against you once you receive a target letter.
So if they want to arrest you, they would’ve done that already. But police can’t unless you’re proven guilty. They are only trying to get information out of you, which can be used later against you.
Therefore, it’s better to speak to a lawyer first and seek legal advice.
POLICE LIES
Yes. Police do lie. In fact, they’re allowed to. Police officers will often tell you lies to get information out of you.
For instance, they may tell that your partner in crime already confessed and is pointing out the crime to you. Which you might end up explaining that you’re only at the scene of the crime but did not do it. So there, the police got the information out of you.
However, even if the police can lie during the prosecution, you, on the other hand, cannot. If you lie to the police, you can be charged for perjury or obstruction of justice.
It’s better if you remain silent and ask for a lawyer instead.
YOU’RE NOT OBLIGED TO MEET WITH A POLICE.
When you receive a letter or an invitation from the police asking you to come over and talk, you can decline it if you want to. You are not obliged to meet with the police unless you receive a target letter.
You can talk to a lawyer first before talking to the police and cooperate with their investigation. Again, anything you say can be used against you, so it’s better to remain silent first.
These are a few things to keep in mind once you found out that police are investigating you. The main important thing here is that it’s better to speak to a lawyer first before you do anything else.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Franchette Agatha Jardin believes that everyone has the capacity to help those who are in need. She writes blogs about issues and news surrounding those in prison in the hopes of restoring a little extra faith in humanity.