What Can a Police Officer Lie About in an Interrogation?

You may assume that all police officers practice honesty and integrity and have the public’s trust. However, some officers may stoop to controversial and sometimes unethical tactics to solve a criminal case, such as lying to potential suspects during interrogation proceedings. While this is not necessarily illegal, it can be if they take it too far. That said, please read on to discover what a police officer can and cannot lie about during an interrogation and how one of the seasoned Montgomery County criminal defense lawyers at Fendley and Birch can help the truth prevail.

What can a police officer lie/not lie about in an interrogation?

A police officer may lay down an intense line of questioning to get you to share what you know about an alleged crime, or even to confess to committing the criminal act. To get the information that they need to solve the case, they may be legally authorized to lie about the following things during an interrogation:

• They may lie about the evidence they have collected against you for the alleged crime thus far.
• They may lie about a co-conspirator’s confession and implication of your guilt in the criminal act.
• They may lie about you being questioned as a witness rather than a suspect in the alleged crime.
• They may lie that you will likely receive a lesser sentence if you provide more details about the alleged crime.

However, an officer must not stray too far away from the truth, to the point that it becomes unethically deceitful. Without further ado, it may be considered illegal for them to lie about the following things during an interrogation:

• They may not lie about revoking your legal rights to remain silent or retain a legal representative.
• They may not lie about inflicting a harsher sentence if you choose to remain silent during questioning.
• They may not fabricate legal documents (i.e., search warrant, arrest warrant, etc.) to coerce your consent.

How can I respond to a police officer’s lies and deception?

Upon further reflection, you may believe a police officer’s lies compromised your legal or constitutional rights. Or, they otherwise abused their legal authority during the interrogation. If this is so, you may bring it up in your criminal case proceedings. Here, your lawyer may take the following actions on your behalf:

• Your lawyer may file a motion to suppress evidence obtained through deception during the interrogation.
• Your lawyer may file a motion to dismiss your case altogether on the grounds of proven police misconduct.
• Your lawyer may impeach an officer during trial by challenging their credibility as a witness before the jury.
• Your lawyer may negotiate a favorable plea deal with the prosecution based on evidence of deception or misconduct.

As soon as you find yourself in potential legal trouble, you must retain representation and advisement from one of the competent Montgomery County criminal defense lawyers at Fendley and Birch. You should not have to put up this fight alone; we are here to help you.