Colorado Springs, CO criminal defense attorney Alexis Austin Litle talks about answering police questions without a lawyer. She states that individuals are not required to answer questions from law enforcement without a lawyer present. Police officers in any state are legally permitted to use deception as a tactic to elicit statements, and their primary goal is to determine whether there is evidence of a crime. Repeated questioning may be used to try to obtain self-incriminating information.

The only information an individual is legally obligated to provide is their full legal name and date of birth. For all other questions, she advises clearly stating, “I prefer to remain silent. I am exercising my right to remain silent.” No additional information is required or recommended.

She notes that law enforcement may attempt to pressure or persuade individuals by suggesting that answering questions will “help their case,” but this is a common tactic intended to obtain further information that could be used against them. Beyond basic identifying details, providing additional statements can only create legal risk.