Asked on Nov 08th, 2021 on Criminal Law - New York
More details to this question:
I’m being charged with felony criminal mischief and am turning myself in tomorrow am. When the officer asked if i knew about the incident in question I told him no. Am I screwed?
Generally speaking anything you say to the police can be used against you in future proceedings with a number of exceptions. For instance, under certain circumstances you need to be read your Miranda rights prior to giving any type of statement or answering any questions that the P.O. asks. With that being said, it's difficult to say what impact your statement may have on your case without knowing the full statement and the circumstances in which you made that statement.
Any time that you do speak with police you should do so in the presence of legal counsel. With an attorney present, you can be sure that your legal rights are being protected. For instance, you have the right to not answer any of the P.O.'s questions when they interrogate you. You have the right to not incriminate yourself and to remain silent, refusing to answer questions. You also always have the right to have legal counsel present when being questioned by police. If you are going to surrender yourself, I would certainly suggest that you have an attorney present with you to ensure that your rights are protected.
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