What to say and do when you’re stopped by the cops: an infographic

It’s the first Saturday night of the new year, so it’s only appropriate for me to post this infographic that explains quite simply what to say and do when stopped by the cops. Most avoidable arrests, as the infographic quite nicely points out, occur from police trickery and intimidation leading to an individual’s consenting to a search or admitting guilt, both when they didn’t have to. The general rule is “Be polite, ask if you’re free to leave often, and say as little as possible”.

The material on the infographic is consistent with other material that I’ve read, but keep in mind that:

• I am not a lawyer, and this shouldn’t be considered to be legal advice from Yours Truly,
• The material is mainly applicable to the United States. Here in Canada, the laws are similar, but not exactly the same. Can any Canadian legal experts comment on what’s applicable here?

Here it is — You Have the Right to Remain Out of Prison (click it to see it at full size):

Click the infographic to see it at full size.

Creative Commons inforgraphic created by Robert Couse-Baker.