No one ever plans on getting charged with a crime, but if you find yourself in a position where you will need to defend yourself in a criminal case, it's important to avoid doing anything that could hurt your chances in the courtroom before your hearing or trial even begins. For best results, hire a local criminal law attorney as soon as possible. In the meantime, avoid doing any of the following things that could cost you before your defense even begins.
Don't Plead Your Case to the Police
Sometimes it's the police who will directly tell you what you are going to be charged with. When you are in this situation, your first and only priority should be getting out of the local jail and contacting your attorney to begin your defense. Trying to plead with the police and give your account of what happened isn't going to help you at all. In fact, everything you say will be documented by the police and could be used against you in the courtroom later.
Don't Try and Save Face By Telling Your Story on Social Media
In most cases, news of your arrest is not going to make the local newspaper, and posting about what happened on social media will be the last thing on your mind. But if you are charged with a crime in a way that does lead to publicity, your first instinct might be to attempt to control the damage with your family and friends. You may think the media is painting one picture of you but it's not the full picture and you want to set the record straight. But posting anything at all on social media before or during your trial proceedings is a terrible idea for the same reason you shouldn't talk to the police. Your social media posts will likely get noticed by the prosecution, sometimes even if you think you have it set to private. All it takes is one "friend" you haven't talked to since high school to re-share the information you posted in a public post and suddenly the entire world might see it. If you give the police one account but say something different in a post on social, this is not going to end well for you. The best way to save face or share your side of the story when charged with a crime is to wait until after you are acquitted.
Contact a local attorney today to start planning your defense, and try to keep your mouth shut to everyone else in the meantime.