What To Do If Asked To Come To Police Station in Los Angeles
If you are asked to come to the police station in Los Angeles County, contact an attorney and let them know what the detective has indicated. Usually, a person knows why the police want to talk to them.
You can talk about it with the attorney and decide what the best strategy is. If you have yet to learn what they want to talk to you about, consider hiring an attorney to contact them and ask them what the matter is about. Let your attorney make the decisions through consultation with you on what you're going to say if anything, and what you're going to do.
When Am I Legally Required To Show Identification To Law Enforcement?
If the police ask who you are, it is usually in your best interest to show them your identification. If you refuse to identify yourself, the police are more likely to arrest you and have you fingerprinted in order to verify your identification.
If the police stop you because you've committed some sort of traffic violation, they can order you out of your car for their safety. Where problems can develop when they keep you detained for a longer period than is reasonable.
If you feel you were detained for an unreasonable amount of time, contact your attorney. If the police searched your vehicle when you didn't give them consent and they didn't have probable cause, contact your attorney. Any illegal substances they found may be able to be suppressed.
What Are My Rights As A Passenger In A Police Stop?
When the police pull over a car, they're entitled to protect themselves. They can search a passenger if they feel like the passenger might be dangerous or armed.
Beyond that, if the passenger hasn't done anything wrong, they can leave the scene. If the police suspect you of committing a crime, they might be able to detain you while they determine whether or not you were involved in any illegal activity.
Otherwise, you have the same rights as the driver: not to be illegally searched and not to be held or arrested without probable cause. You may even have more rights because you weren't the one driving, and unless you're a suspect, you can get out of the car and leave.