That is a very interesting question. The answer is really that it depends. You are certainly under no legal obligation to talk to law enforcement or participate in an investigation that maybe against your interests. The Supreme Court has said that if an officer asks you to provide identifying information during an investigation, you have to give your information but you are not required to say anything regarding your whereabouts or any other facts that they may have. It is really up to the person who is dealing with law enforcement whether or not they want to participate and answer questions. Typically if a person is nervous about talking with law enforcement or feels that they may be under some sort of investigation, that is a perfect indicator that they should be talking to a criminal defense attorney and not to law enforcement.
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Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
