WHAT TO SAY TO A POLICE OFFICER WHEN YOU ARE CONTACTED AND WOULD PREFER TO BE LEFT ALONE:

“Officer, I will not be making a statement.  I do not consent to a search of either myself, my home, or my vehicle.”

WARNING! In 2013, the United States Supreme Court ruled that, in order to protect your right to say nothing, You Must Speak Up!  I know it sounds crazy.  It is crazy!  Little by little, the courts are chipping away at our liberties.  Now, whenever you are arrested, before and after you receive your Miranda warning, you must state that you want an attorney and that you don’t want to make a statement.  Say this:  “Officer, I will not be making a statement.  I want an attorney, please.”  Do not discuss anything else!  Keep using these statements over and over!

You cannot prevent an officer from arresting you.  Further, it is illegal to physically resist an arrest, even if the arrest is unjustified.  What you can do is protect yourself by saying nothing.  The truth is, the more you speak the more likely it is you will be arrested.  This is because the officer needs the information to justify arresting you to come out of your mouth.  Whether you are arrested or not, just keep repeating the statements above until either the police go away or you are arrested.  If you are arrested, remember to keep saying nothing!  Do not discuss the reason you were arrested until you are with your lawyer!

Most people aren’t aware of the incredible imbalance between the government and the individual, when it comes to being accused of a crime.  When a District Attorney files a complaint against you, you have no choice but to defend yourself.  The problem is that you are paying for the police, the investigators, the legal assistants, and the attorneys who are preparing the case against you.  You are also confronted by a District Attorney who is a professional at prosecuting you.  That man or woman is not going to tell you the strengths and weaknesses of the case he or she filed against you.  NO WAY!  So, who’s on your side!?

Michael D. Troy has been practicing criminal defense law in Santa Barbara since 2001.  He knows the courts and the other players.  You will get honest, straightforward answers to your questions and the commitment to defend you and your rights to the very end.  The job of the defense lawyer is to hold the government accountable for its actions.  It is the government, not you, who has all the burdens.  You don’t have to prove anything.  The District Attorney must show that the arrest and the complaint that was filed are justified.

Michael is so passionate about ensuring that individual citizens know their rights that he gives free seminars on your rights.  If you would like to have a free seminar presentation, just send us a note.  We ask that you have at least five people who will be able to attend.  You can choose the place.  Michael will even teach you in your own living room!

TERMINATE YOUR PROBATION EARLY AND DISMISS YOUR CASE

Most people don’t know that, under certain circumstances, you can get your probation terminated earlier than what your original sentence provides.  Also, once your probation is over, whether terminated early or whether it ran its natural course, you can get your case dismissed.  Getting your case dismissed allows you to lawfully state that you no longer have a conviction for that case.  Ask Michael how to do this!  Sometimes he can do it for as little as $500.  This is very important for cleaning up your record when you want to apply for a job or to go to school.