So many people are incarcerated, detained, or detached from their loved ones right now because they got entangled with the law in one way or another.

But chances are, the outcome of their case could have been the exact opposite of what it was if they only observed and exercised their basic right — the right to remain silent.

Fifth and Sixth Amendment Rights

The people of America are fortunate to live in a country where they are not forced to say anything that could incriminate them. They don't have to become self-snitches and rat themselves out. In the United States, Americans can exercise their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and their Sixth Amendment right to an attorney.

However, people are either not aware of these rights or know about them but proceed to talk to the police and tell their side of the story. And in doing so, they are sabotaging themselves and putting themselves in a tough position. Anything they say can and will be used against them in a court of law, so speaking to the police will never put them at an advantage.

How Silence Has the Power to Save You

Silence speaks louder than any statement or explanation can. It has the power to save someone being interrogated by the police. Silence can always come to a person's advantage because of the following reasons:

1. A person never has to explain what they never said in the first place.
2. Silence cannot be misquoted.
3. If a person doesn't say anything, they don't incriminate themselves and mess anything up.

Silence is powerful because it can never be taken out of context. If a person doesn't talk to the police, there is nothing that they can use against them in a court of law. Hence, silence protects their rights and helps their attorneys build a stronger defense.

How Silence Can Help Your Attorney Defend You

Any attorney will light up like a Christmas tree when they read their client's case file and find out that they chose to exercise their right against self-incrimination. This is because it gives them the ability to operate with a clean slate. They can be the first to hear their client's side of the story and use that story to their advantage, whether in negotiations or in a trial.

On the other hand, if the story has already been spilled to the police, the attorney will have no leverage or bargaining tool against them and the prosecution. The story can be tainted, exaggerated, or changed to get a conviction. And the accused has put themselves in a position that is difficult, if not impossible, to get out of.

Exercise Your Right to Remain Silent

There is absolutely no advantage in a person going down to a police station and making a voluntary statement to tell their side of the story. This should only be disclosed to an attorney, who can make informed decisions about what should be done next.

When the system won't save a person, their silence will. Anyone ever entangled with the law or interrogated by the authorities should exercise their right to remain silent, which is equivalent to their right to remain innocent and empower their attorney to defend them in the best way possible.