It sounds reasonable. If you did nothing wrong, cooperating should clear things up. Brian Foley prosecuted people who believed exactly that — and explains in this video why the belief is the problem.
Five ways the innocent talk themselves into a charge
1. Getting a detail wrong. You say you left the bar at 11. The receipt says 11:40. You were not lying — you were estimating. The prosecutor calls it a false statement and asks the jury what else you lied about.
2. Contradicting a witness who is also wrong. The complainant says you wore a red shirt. You say blue. One of you is mistaken; the jury is told one of you is lying, and you are the one on trial.
3. Admitting a fact that is an element. "I was there, but I didn't do anything." Presence is now proven. "I had a couple of drinks, but I was fine." Drinking is now proven. The State needed those facts, and you supplied them.
4. Explaining something that did not need explaining. Officers ask open-ended questions to let you talk. The more you say, the more there is to check, and the more there is to be wrong about.
5. Denying something the police can prove. Frightened people minimize — "I never touched her" when there was a shove. Now there is a provable lie in the file, and it colors everything else.
What innocent people should do
The same thing guilty people should do, for different reasons: say nothing, and let your lawyer present your account when it can help — in a form that cannot be twisted, at a time when the State's version is already locked in. The truth still comes out. It just comes out on your terms.
Call or text (409) 877-4909 for a free consultation with Brian Foley and Luis Baez, former prosecutors who know how statements are used.