When the policeman asks
Just say this one sentence
Updated on April 12th, 2025 – 3:51 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Everything you say can be used against you. But a single sentence protects you from mistakes that you can get expensive.
The old principle still applies: Nobody has to burden themselves. For example, if you are asked by the police about an accident, you should know that as soon as there is a concrete suspicion against you, you can be silent. And: they have to be instructed beforehand.
What many do not know: If they still talk without this instruction by the police, this can be ineffective in court. The district court of Nuremberg-Fürth decided this (file number: 5 QS 40/22).
A driver fled from the scene of the accident after a sheet metal damage. A witness noticed the license plate. A little later the police were just around the corner. The driver admitted her act in an informal conversation.
The problem: she was not previously instructed as a accused. The suspicion had long been obvious – she was a keeper, a personal description fit, there were no other drivers. The court decided: the statement was unusual. The criminal order was collected.
Quite simply: If the police come with questions and you could have something to do with a crime, say kindly: “I don’t want to provide any information.” That’s all. You don’t need to justify that. And you can say it at any time – even in the middle of a conversation.
And: If the police forget to instruct them, it is not their problem. But their.
C passenger should also behave calmly. For example, the sentence falls in conversation with the police: “I said that you should drive more slowly”, this can double the punishment. Failures may only be interviewed as witnesses.
