Is there any point in admitting guilt when a cops asks you?

[HaxorNubcake]

When a cop asks you something like "Did you know what you did wrong" (like california stops at stopsigns) or "how fast were you going?", is there any purpose in incriminating yourself?

 

[Cpt Cupcake]

Sometimes if you show remorse and admit what you did wrong, the cop may let you out of it. Happens all the time to me.

 

[Xylitol]

Just say the truth
Its always better

 

[HaxorNubcake]

So pretty much by admitting your guilt you just take a big chance and incriminate yourself in hopes of getting a warning?

 

[wfbberzerker]

you won't be incriminating yourself by admitting what you did. its not like the cop stopped you randomly in the hopes that you get scared and make up a crime.

 

[jinduy]

i remember that my instructor told me that the actual speed you can go out relative to the speed limit is 10% above... so i was on a 65 and i told the cop i was going about 71 mph... he said i was going a bit faster than that but left me off the hook

 

[Mickey Eye]

Absolutly, get it over with. You're caught, be a man and accept it.

 

[bradruth]

I give a lot more breaks to people who are honest than those who lie.

 

[sygyzy]

There is a difference between volunteering and admitting guilt and telling the truth.

The oldest cop trick in the book is "do you know how fast you were going?" Just take a minute to think about it. What are they asking you? Are they trying to be nice and are giving you an opportunity to say "no, i have no idea how fast I was going. I drive a 3000 lb machine and I have no idea how fast it's going. Was I speeding? Please forgive me"

Or are they giving you a chance to VOLUNTEER guilt and confess to a specific crime/speed? The answer is the latter.

Cops can randomly pull you over guessing you POSSIBLY are speeding. Then when they ask you the magic question, you'll remove all doubt and incriminate yourself.

 

[Tylanner]

just dont give PC

 

[Vic]

Hell no, never. All you do when you admit guilt is make the cop's job easier by incriminating yourself. And keep in mind that a cop's idea of "lying" is whenever you say something different than whatever bit of self-incrimination they want you to say.

Think on this. Suppose you stopped and had one single small beer while driving home from work. You get pulled over (say for burnt-out taillight). The cop asks if you've been drinking, because they ask almost everyone they pull over at night that. You tell the truth and admit you had a single beer. Boom, you walking the line and blowing, and even if you pass the field test and blow under he and he alone gets to decide whether you get a DUI or not. You tell him no, and he has nothing to go on.

Traffic cops write tickets. That is their job. "Breaks" and warnings are much rarer than they would like you to believe, and for this very reason. To get you to believe that self-incrimination will get you off. Sorry, that can and will be used against you in court. The best way to handle the situation is to pretend he didn't ask the question. "Do you know fast you were going?" "Here's my license, registration, and proof of insurance, officer, please don't take long running it, thanks."

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
There is a difference between volunteering and admitting guilt and telling the truth.

The oldest cop trick in the book is "do you know how fast you were going?" Just take a minute to think about it. What are they asking you? Are they trying to be nice and are giving you an opportunity to say "no, i have no idea how fast I was going. I drive a 3000 lb machine and I have no idea how fast it's going. Was I speeding? Please forgive me"

Or are they giving you a chance to VOLUNTEER guilt and confess to a specific crime/speed? The answer is the latter.

Cops can randomly pull you over guessing you POSSIBLY are speeding. Then when they ask you the magic question, you'll remove all doubt and incriminate yourself.

Actually, failing to know how fast you were going at any given time is a traffic infraction itself in most states. Often more serious than speeding. Careless driving, negligent driving, failure to maintain proper control of the vehicle, etc. So no matter how you answer the question, you incriminate yourself. It's the ultimate loaded question.
If absolutely pressed to answer, the only proper answer is the posted speed limit. Regardless of how fast you were going.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Vic
Hell no, never. All you do when you admit guilt is make the cop's job easier by incriminating yourself. And keep in mind that a cop's idea of "lying" is whenever you say something different than whatever bit of self-incrimination they want you to say.

Think on this. Suppose you stopped and had one single small beer while driving home from work. You get pulled over (say for burnt-out taillight). The cop asks if you've been drinking, because they ask almost everyone they pull over at night that. You tell the truth and admit you had a single beer. Boom, you walking the line and blowing, and even if you pass the field test and blow under he and he alone gets to decide whether you get a DUI or not. You tell him no, and he has nothing to go on.

Traffic cops write tickets. That is their job. "Breaks" and warnings are much rarer than they would like you to believe, and for this very reason. To get you to believe that self-incrimination will get you off. Sorry, that can and will be used against you in court. The best way to handle the situation is to pretend he didn't ask the question. "Do you know fast you were going?" "Here's my license, registration, and proof of insurance, officer, please don't take long running it, thanks."

I consider lying to be telling me something other than the truth.

We'd still smell it on the person's breath, so they'd likely end up running a few tests regardless. I fail to see how we can arbitrarily hand out DUIs if people pass the tests and blow under the limit.

That's fine if that's how you want to handle it, but it will only result in a citation.

 

[sygyzy]

I never said I'd say "no, i don't know how fast I was going" but the cop better know too. "Officer, i was paying attention to the road. I felt I was going a safe speed for the current road and traffic conditions." OF COURSE I know how fast I am going, but does he?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: bradruth
I consider lying to be telling me something other than the truth.

We'd still smell it on the person's breath, so they'd likely end up running a few tests regardless. I fail to see how we can arbitrarily hand out DUIs if people pass the tests and blow under the limit.

That's fine if that's how you want to handle it, but it will only result in a citation.

You carry a portable lie detector with you everywhere you go?

And please... your job is to write tickets. That is what you do. You don't let off people just because they were nice to you, but because they're local and have no stops or priors in the system. Otherwise, out-of-area? Guaranteed instant ticket, regardless of how much ass is kissed. Roadside tax collection. Previous stops or priors? Same thing.

A citation... ooh... don't threaten me with what you were going to write anyway.

 

[Playmaker]

I'm constantly told by friends and professors in the legal and law enforcement fields that it's in one's best interest to never cooperate unless absolutely required (e.g. a warrant is involved), especially when it comes to searches.

In the case of something as minor as a speeding ticket it obviously isn't a big deal, but it's foolish to incriminate yourself. What if you were doing 95 in a 70 and the cop didn't notice, but pulled you over simply to let you know one of your headlights was out? Don't be an idiot.

In any event, those kind of cops are there primarily to generate revenue. Don't submit to this form of indirect taxation if you don't have to.

Originally posted by: Vic
Actually, failing to know how fast you were going at any given time is a traffic infraction itself in most states. Often more serious than speeding. Careless driving, negligent driving, failure to maintain proper control of the vehicle, etc. So no matter how you answer the question, you incriminate yourself. It's the ultimate loaded question.
If absolutely pressed to answer, the only proper answer is the posted speed limit. Regardless of how fast you were going.

I wasn't aware that not knowing one's speed is a crime. If I am speeding I'll generally admit to going "about" a couple miles over when asked. I'll have to remember not to say I don't know. If you are speeding and are asked, couldn't you plead the fifth in that situation?

 

[Conky]

You have the right to remain silent. If you remain silent they can't make up sh!t you supposedly said.

 

[EightySix Four]

Originally posted by: Playmaker
I'm constantly told by friends and professors in the legal and law enforcement fields that it's in one's best interest to never cooperate unless absolutely required (e.g. a warrant is involved), especially when it comes to searches.

In the case of something as minor as a speeding ticket it obviously isn't a big deal, but it's foolish to incriminate yourself. What if you were doing 95 in a 70 and the cop didn't notice, but pulled you over simply to let you know one of your headlights was out? Don't be an idiot.

In any event, those kind of cops are there primarily to generate revenue. Don't submit to this form of indirect taxation if you don't have to.

Originally posted by: Vic
Actually, failing to know how fast you were going at any given time is a traffic infraction itself in most states. Often more serious than speeding. Careless driving, negligent driving, failure to maintain proper control of the vehicle, etc. So no matter how you answer the question, you incriminate yourself. It's the ultimate loaded question.
If absolutely pressed to answer, the only proper answer is the posted speed limit. Regardless of how fast you were going.

I wasn't aware that not knowing one's speed is a crime. If I am speeding I'll generally admit to going "about" a couple miles over when asked. I'll have to remember not to say I don't know. If you are speeding and are asked, couldn't you plead the fifth in that situation?

On the indirect taxation thing, I know many cops who have a quota of the amount of people they have to pull over and ticket each month for revenue reasons. I know it's prominent where I live but I was not sure in the rest of the states.

 

[ucdbiendog]

ive gotten out of tickets 2 out of 3 times ive been pulled over by admitting what i did wrong and sounding worry about it. i hate kissing ass, but with the cost of the ticket and insurance, its worth it

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: HaxorNubcake
When a cop asks you something like "Did you know what you did wrong" (like california stops at stopsigns) or "how fast were you going?", is there any purpose in incriminating yourself?

Sure if you think you can talk yourself out of the ticket. Anyways just preface it with "might have" "coulda been" "note certain but maybe" and i get the both of both worlds.

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: bradruth
I give a lot more breaks to people who are honest than those who lie.

there you have it

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: Mickey Eye
Absolutly, get it over with. You're caught, be a man and accept it.

you're going to die, (eventually)

why not just kill yourself and get it over with?


this is not a rhetorical question btw

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: bradruth
I consider lying to be telling me something other than the truth.

We'd still smell it on the person's breath, so they'd likely end up running a few tests regardless. I fail to see how we can arbitrarily hand out DUIs if people pass the tests and blow under the limit.

That's fine if that's how you want to handle it, but it will only result in a citation.

You carry a portable lie detector with you everywhere you go?

And please... your job is to write tickets. That is what you do. You don't let off people just because they were nice to you, but because they're local and have no stops or priors in the system. Otherwise, out-of-area? Guaranteed instant ticket, regardless of how much ass is kissed. Roadside tax collection. Previous stops or priors? Same thing.

A citation... ooh... don't threaten me with what you were going to write anyway.

actually, the cops in my area are bloodsuckers, and will write a ticket whether or not you've had priors. I appreciate what some of them do, but most of them are power tripping dickheads. what I hate the most is when I see someone pulled over for speeding or such, and they have 2 or 3 cop cars that feel the need to pull over as well. wtf. I know sometimes they need backup, but it is very common in my county to see 2 or 3 cop cars at any given time when a speeding citation is being written. either that, or we have one hell of a drug problem, and every time someone gets pulled over they are arrested.

 

[eflat]

public transportation FTW

after you have driven for more than a few years the novelty has long since worn off. really it's like chrismas only every single day.

<--- am one day either moving to the city or getting rich and hiring a driver

 

[compuwiz1]

One of the best things you can do for a cop, is to let him know you are concerned for his or her safety, and while even though he put the lights on you 3 blocks ago, you simply tell him, that out of "concern for his safety, you wanted to choose a safer place to pull over". They love that. I actually did that one time, then admitted I was wrong, had a lapse of judgment, etc. After a fatherly type lecture, he let me go.