Are many of us too naive ?

[ironglows]

  I have never committed a crime..other than a couple speeding tickets, years ago..if those are considered a crime. I guess I figured that were I ever to face some kind of charges, I would simply be honest, and that would go a long way.

     However, this Regent University law professor says "don't talk to the police".  He says it can do no good, and often does great harm...even though you are completely innocent!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE

[BUGEYE]

Well, honesty does not always get you fair treatment in front of a judge.  I know from experience.

And, cops are allowed to lie to you to squeeze info out of you.  I think some have come to enjoy "getting" something on someone.

So, I would exercise my right to remain silent unless I had a lawyer in the chair right beside me.

You can, for $25 a month, have instant access to a lawyer.  For instance, on a traffic stop, you hand over your license, registration, and insurance.
Then you call the lawyer, and put him on speaker.  And when the cop says, where ya coming from?  The lawyer says, what does that have to do with anything??  Where ya heading?  What does that have to do with anything??  Why are you on this side of town?  What does that have to do with anything.
You, don't need to say a word.  Then the cop sees that he's making himself look bad, and he writes your ticket and sends you on your way.
Or, if the cop says I smell MJ and will need to get a sniffer dog, the lawyer starts timing the stop which becomes illegal after a certain amount of time elapses and still no dog.
So, I would remain silent.

That said, we were stopped by a Texas state trooper in Ft Worth for following too close, my wife was driving and the trooper came up on my side of the car.  He did NOT ask for a drivers license or anything else, he just said, little lady, please don't follow so close, it's dangerous.
My wife, being very witty, told him that in Georgia we had to scroonch up on the highway because we didn't have all the space that Texas does.
He left laughing.  That's my kind of cop.

[ironglows]

As you watch that video, one can see how entirely innocent people an be roped into a whole lot of trouble.  As you said, the police can lie to you as a method of extracting information.

 According to what I understand, the interviewer could say, "What would you say, if I told you that there are witnesses who say they saw you at that convenience store which was robbed.?"
   Knowing you were not anywhere near that that area you reply, "You don't have any such witness, because I wasn't there."

   Then the interviewer comes up with somebody who could very well be mistaken..but no matter the 'witness' is mistaken, now the interviewer has caught you in a lie..saying he has no witness.

  It isn't always a matter of  simple justice.  Sometimes thy just want a "pound of flesh".  Do you recall a couple people, one named Scooter Libby the other named Martha Stewart?

  Neither one was found guilty of what they were charged with...but both were found guilty of 'lying' and sent to jail!

  Libby's 'lie' was actually just a case of faulty memory.  It sure looks like prosecutors just don't like to have  a loss on their record, so they seek to get any conviction they can.  At least, that is the way it looks to me.

[NWBear]

"That said, we were stopped by a Texas state trooper in Ft Worth for following too close, my wife was driving and the trooper came up on my side of the car.  He did NOT ask for a drivers license or anything else, he just said, little lady, please don't follow so close, it's dangerous.
My wife, being very witty, told him that in Georgia we had to scroonch up on the highway because we didn't have all the space that Texas does.
He left laughing.  That's my kind of cop."

I have met (been stopped by) quite a few "good cops".  They just give you a warning to be more careful, and let you go.  Others just need the revenue, like a little speed trap in an isolated tip of a local county.  The Sheriff has to drive about 100 miles round trip to sit on <1mile of road through the mountain.  The speed drops because of a power plant, so they catch people coming home who don't slow down for that patch.  I guess I deserve it since I didn't slow down. 

[Lloyd Smale]

i go both ways. Im friends with most in the sheriffs dept. I know they would never do me wrong and there welcome in my house any day. State police are a different matter. They are controled by Whitmer and I will talk to them but they will produce a search warrant before they come in the door. Same with any federal agency. I dont fear them because i dont break the law but with the democrats in office i dont trust anyone to know what i have in guns and ammo in the house and like i said i dont break the law so they have no reason to come in my house.

[Argent 88]

Our Sheriff recomends that we have the means available to protect ourselves.

[ironglows]

From NW;
  " I have met (been stopped by) quite a few "good cops".  They just give you a warning to be more careful, and let you go.  Others just need the revenue, like a little speed trap in an isolated tip of a local county.  The Sheriff has to drive about 100 miles round trip to sit on <1mile of road through the mountain.  The speed drops because of a power plant, so they catch people coming home who don't slow down for that patch.  I guess I deserve it since I didn't slow down. "
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  My experience too!  One thing for sure though, a "smart A**" is almost sure to get cited, so remain cool and polite, as most (but not all) LEOs are.