Do you enjoy watching crime shows on television? You’re probably not alone since the genre is currently one of the most popular amongst viewers. While these stories are entertaining, these shows often don’t portray the investigation process and criminal justice system in a way that is entirely accurate. This misinformation often confuses and adds significant stress to those who have been arrested for a crime or their loved ones. To try to put some of this unrest at ease, let’s examine a few popular myths about how the criminal prosecution process actually works.
DNA Evidence Solves Everything… Quickly
We’ve all seen TV investigators walk into a crime scene, find a single hair which they immediately identify as suspicious, and it turns out to identify the killer flawlessly after a quick test with a perfect match. In the real world, that just doesn’t happen. While DNA evidence is admissible in court and has solved cases, the actual process is never straightforward. Finding a clean sample of DNA is exceedingly rare, and the process of finding a positive match can take weeks or even months. This is why so many murder trials you hear about on the news can take what feels like a century to finally resolve.
On a related note, fingerprints have a lot of the same difficulties. Clean prints are a super rare find, and when investigators are lucky enough to find one, finding a match can also take months. However, because shows only have an hour and not several weeks, they have to compress the timeline somewhat.
Police Must Read Me My Rights When They Arrest Me
Most people know at least the biggest of the Miranda rights and there are those who ask if they are eligible to be released because they were not read their rights as they were being arrested. The actual truth is that law enforcement does not have to read you your rights until they wish to question you. Even then, if they fail to do so they still do not have to release you. However, do let your attorney know as soon as possible if they do, because any evidence they gather against you before informing you of your rights is inadmissible in court and this could seriously help your case.
You Only Get One Phone Call in Jail
While phone calls are a privilege and authorities can take them away from you at any time, you are allowed as many phone calls as you would like once you have been arrested. In many cases, people who are arrested need multiple calls to arrange their affairs for this sudden change, and likewise need to get in contact with an attorney. But if you misbehave or refuse to cooperate, your phone call privileges may be revoked.
If you have been arrested and are facing charges, retain a skilled Miami criminal defense attorney from Law Office of Michael Mirer, P.A. We have the experience of over 100 criminal trials and have earned not guilty verdicts for every type of charge, including sex crimes. Our attorneys have received accolades from Super Lawyers, a Superb Rating from Avvo, an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, and more!
Don’t wait to contact a skilled attorney from Law Office of Michael Mirer, P.A. at (800) 798-0243.