For those who have felt the cold steel of handcuffs, you know the horror, uncertainty and fear of the immediate predicament.
Unless you already have an attorney on retainer, you do not know what to do. You do not know what will happen to you. And, you will look for any way to just make this all go away. This is where the myth of the “victim dropping charges” is often told to those in lockup.
Will the charges be dropped if I give the money back?
For those facing charges of white-collar crimes, like embezzlement, it can be tempting to just pay the money back, even if you never took anything to begin with.
If you give it back, the alleged victim will drop the charges, right?
No. To be clear, alleged victims do not have the ability to charge you or drop the charges you face.
While your attorney may make recommendations of restitution as part of a plea deal, it’s not a good idea to offer such to anyone on your own. This could be an admission of guilt, or at least perceived as such and used against you by the prosecution.
Stay silent
The Texas police officer who bought you breakfast or a cup of coffee is not your friend. The police officer who says they are trying to help you or tell your side of the story does not care about you.
Every person you speak with that is part of the criminal justice system is against you. Their job is to find any piece of evidence, twist every word and find any way to show your guilt, even if you are not guilty.
Think about all those movies and television shows you have seen about the wrongfully convicted. Universally, each one of the wrongfully convicted believed one of these people to their detriment.
Do not speak with the police without an attorney. And, if the police want to question you, ask for an attorney. Remain silent until your attorney arrives.