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16th August 2023
05:37pm BST
A lawyer has shared the one question you should "never answer in a million years" if you're pulled over by the police.
@tiktokstreetlawyer shares videos on the platform explaining aspects of English law and legal info to followers so that they know their rights and can protect themselves.
In a recent post clip, he starts of by saying: "Here's a question you should never answer in a million years without knowing the suspected offence you are accused of."
Whilst you might be expecting it to be something like "have you been drinking?" or "do you know how fast you were going?", it's actually something which at first could seem quite innocent.
The lawyer continues: "It's the one where you get stopped by police in your car and the officer asks you: 'Do you know why I pulled you over?'"
He advises that you think twice before answering, and that you shouldn't try and guess the correct response "unless you are a Jedi mind reader."
The best way to proceed is to not answer at all, with the lawyer explaining: "You don't know exactly what's going through the officer's mind, right?
"So why are you talking without information from the officer?"
He explained that the question can often be a "trick" one, and is designed to "catch drivers off guard before they realise they are not legally required to answer this question."
The legal expert continued: "Imagine it's not a trick question and without knowing the offence you were accused of you answer: 'Because I ran a red light. Because I was speeding. Because I was eating a kebab. Because I am the Muffin Man'.
"You've just admitted to four criminal offences when the officer was only thinking and maybe only had evidence about one offence - assuming they had any offence in mind in the first place."
And these "confessions" can then be used against you in a court of law.
The correct reply? To ask: "Officer, please tell me."
This will then put you in a "a better position to talk or not to talk - that's your choice'.
He concludes: "Admitting to a minor road traffic violation might avoid court altogether and you might get some safety advice too.
"Answering police questions based on ignorance and speculation increases the risk of you going to court and you having to plead guilty to being the Muffin Man."
Reacting to the lawyer's advice in the comments, one person wrote: "I would start panicking and admitting to things I haven't even done."
Another added: "If you don't know how am I meant to know?"
A third stated: "If you don't know I'm not going to tell you."
And a fourth joked: "Because I am the Muffin Man."
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