Georgetown is not one of the areas in which we typically hear about crimes such as robbery and assault; however, according to a recent news article from WJLA Washington, DC, a student was walking home Halloween night when a group as large as 20 teenagers and young adults allegedly approached him. He was allegedly beaten badly, robbed, and then watched as attackers took his laptop computer from him and smashed it on the sidewalk.
A spokesperson for the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), says there were homophobic slurs used during the attack, which is why they are considering this alleged offense to be a possible hate crime.
That same night, police say that a person was shot in the face in SE DC as part of a possible robbery. Fortunately, the victim was conscious and breathing when first responders arrived, and he is expected to survive. In addition to these incidents, there was an alleged shooting near Howard University, and as many as five other robberies were reported to MPD in NW DC near the National Cathedral.
When there are as many as 20 robbery suspects associated with a single alleged offense, there is a decent chance that the police will catch at least some of them. Even if they are not able to find anyone who was actually on the scene, they will likely find somebody who they believe may know something.
When an MPD detective finds someone they believe to be a suspect but do not have probable cause to make an arrest, they will often ask that person to come in and speak with them. As your DC criminal defense attorney can explain, if the police are asking you to come down to the district station and speak with them, and they do not have a warrant for your arrest, you do not have to go. What you should do is to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible, because you need someone who is actually on your side fighting for your rights. It it is important to understand that, no matter what the police tell you, they are not trying to help you. In, fact, it is very likely that no good can come from talking with the police without a lawyer present.
However, it is important to understand that not talking to the police means simply that. It does not mean denying anything or telling them your version of the story. It means saying that you are not going to speak with them without an attorney present. This is true even when they tell you that you could face a long time in prison if you do not talk. Remember, they are not on your side, so you need to speak with a lawyer.
It is also important to understand that the police are allowed to lie to you in most situations under our legal system. They may tell you that someone else has already confessed your involvement in a crime. You should not react to this other than by saying you want to speak with your DC criminal defense attorney.
If you’ve been charged with any criminal offense in Washington, D.C. contact Jay Mykytiuk Trial Lawyer for an assessment of your case.
Additional Resources:
Multiple shootings, robberies reported on Halloween night, overnight in D.C., police say, November 1, 2016, By Stephen Tschida, WJLA
More Blog Entries:
Taking the Gloves Off: Good Things Can Happen When You Go To Trial, August 2, 2016, DC Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
