The police serve a valuable role in our society:  They protect us from those who would harm us, and the threat of police involvement keeps most honest people honest.  But the reality is modern police work has separated many officers into an “us versus them” mentality, and the officer’s suspicions of everyday citizens lumps all of “us” into one category:  potential suspects. 

What this means for you, is that once you are on an officer’s radar, you should assume they will believe the worst about you.  Police are trained interrogators, and their training encourages them to obtain confessions at any opportunity.  Indeed, one very widespread police interrogation course tells police that even “a provable lie is as good as a confession."^FN    Many cases that would otherwise be defensible to a jury are plea bargained because the defendant either confessed, or made statements which could be interpreted as incriminating.

Police make the decision as to whether there is probable cause to arrest; but not what charges a defendant will face.  Once a suspect has been arrested, they will generally be booked (processed through the jail system), and then face arraignment.  In the time between the arrest and the arraignment, another group will evaluate the police officer's reports and witness statements to determine charges:The Prosecution or the Government. 

An experienced attorney can advise you whether, why, and how to speak with the police and accompany you to any interviews to protect your rights.