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Do you believe that innocence will protect you if you’re charged with a crime in Los Angeles?

Think again. Wrongful convictions happen. California has found over 200 of them since 1989, and those are just the major crimes convictions researchers focus on. Wrongful convictions happen for much more routine crimes, too.

DUI/DWI False Positives 

Cops wrongfully arrest people for DUIs all the time. 

We’ve heard of designated drivers being arrested because the police believed their drunk or high passenger was really the one driving. Breathalyzers are well known for giving false positives, and do, in fact, at least 40% of the time. Even eating ice cream can create a false positive.

People have even been arrested after blowing a negative on these tests.

Factual Innocence vs. Legal Innocence

Here’s the truth.

The system doesn’t really care if you’re factually guilty or innocent. The system cares about whether it can establish legal guilt or innocence. Once you’re arrested you’ve been caught up in the prison-industrial complex. You’re in a system that’s trying to make a product out of you: an inmate, which can be turned into a source of cheap labor. 

While prosecutors technically have a duty to decline prosecuting a case that has insufficient evidence or a case where it’s obvious the arrested party is innocent, they often won’t do so without pressure from an outstanding defense lawyer. 

Do not try to convince the cops of anything!

If you’re innocent, your first impulse may be to try to convince the police that they’re making a big mistake and they should let you go immediately.

Do not do this.

All you are going to do is hand the police evidence they can use against you. You’ll hand them what you think is an alibi, only to successfully establish that you were within two blocks of a robbery that happened during the same time frame and could have made it over to that location with ease. 

There is never any point at which the police are going to say “Oh gosh, we’re so sorry, we’ll let you go immediately, our mistake.” They’re going to let you talk yourself right into prison.

That’s why you always invoke your 5th amendment rights and your right to an attorney. Put another way: you have the right to remain silent, so use it! You don’t have to convince the police. Your lawyer has to convince the prosecutor, a judge, or the jury. Once the police arrest you it’s out of their hands anyway. 

The System Isn’t Fair, But We’re Here to Help

If you or a loved one have been arrested, don’t delay. Take a deep breath and contact our office to get help immediately. If you’re innocent, we’ll do everything in our power to help you prove it.

See also: 

What to Do If You Get Arrested in Los Angeles, CA

What Does it Take to Get Criminal Charges Dropped in Los Angeles, CA 

Wrongful Convictions in Los Angeles, CA