A Guide to Dealing with the Mexican Police or Authorities
While every country’s criminal justice system is different, one of the crucial components of investigating a crime is conducting a formal police interview of an alleged criminal. It’s one of the first steps of initiating an investigation when a person is charged with a crime.
The police conduct a video recorded interview of the charged suspects. These interviews play a significant role in helping the jury and detective decide whether a person is guilty or not.
While every convicted person must attend a police station when called in for an interview, it’s critical to know and understand your democratic rights during such circumstances. While a criminal defense lawyer can help you deal with police interviews, here are some essential guidelines about participating in a police interview when suspected of a crime.
Participating in a Police Interview
Many alleged offenders often think they’ll get in more trouble by refusing to participate in an interview. While the refusal to answer specific questions may indicate that you’re hiding something, you have every legal right to remain silent in response to any question you’re uncomfortable with.
Your inability to answer some interview questions can’t influence a Magistrate or jury’s verdict. It’ll simply be perceived as your legal right to remain silent. Therefore, it’s always better not to answer some questions instead of making mistakes like framing another person, providing an incorrect date or time, and giving false information.
The prosecution may regard you as untrustworthy if you make the mistake of giving false answers during your police interview.
The Consequence of Not Answering a Question
There’s no consequence of remaining silent in response to a question. Your silence can’t be regarded as evidence of you being guilty of a crime by the prosecution. While you have every right to refuse to answer any question during the video interview, your selective approach to responding during a police interview may be admissible in evidence during the trial.
The selective approach refers to you answering some questions and not others.
The Risk of Bail Refusal During Police Interviews
The police have no right to refuse your bail or exercise any inducements to convince you to answer interview questions. They don’t have the power to pressurize you or offer you bail in exchange for answering a few interview questions.
However, if you experience this behavior before or during the interview, you must inform the criminal defense attorney about it toward the completion of the video interview.
As a criminal lawyer, Fabian Meneses at Meneses Legal is highly experienced in helping his clients deal with the police in Mexico. If you’re worried about participating in a scheduled police interview or have been arrested after being charged for a crime, feel free to reach out to our criminal defense lawyers in Tijuana, Mexico. Call us at (664)500-6896 to seek further assistance today!
