Police interrogations are, by nature, intimidating situations. The officers have their own strategies to get the defendants to talk, whether it be by threatening them with a severe penalty or presenting themselves as allies.

Because of the overwhelming and sometimes terrifying environment, many people end up giving in, sharing their sides of the story, or trying to explain themselves. A lot of the time, people think that by talking to the police, they are helping their case. But in reality, they are doing more harm than good.

Even attorneys become subject to police interrogations. But because they know how to handle it, they don’t usually fall victim to police tactics. What do they do? Simple — they exercise their sixth amendment rights.

Sixth Amendment Rights

Under the sixth amendment of the U.S. Constitution, criminal defendants have the following rights:

  • Right to a public trial
  • Right to a lawyer
  • Right to an impartial jury
  • Right to know who their accusers are and the nature of the charges and evidence against them

Attorneys handle police interrogations by simply telling the police officers that they want to exercise their sixth amendment right to an attorney. And by law, the officers cannot force them to talk or deny their right to legal counsel. They are obligated to allow the defendant to call their lawyers before resuming the interrogation.