When you are arrested and charged with a crime, the police are obligated to read you your Miranda Rights if they intend to subject you to custodial interrogation. These are rights provided to everyone under the law. If you have recently been arrested, you have “the right to remain silent.” There are valid reasons for remaining silent, and you should pay attention to those reasons.

1. It’s Your Right

You exercise your right to vote, to free speech, to freedom of religion, etc. This is no different. Miranda rights are not exclusionary, nor exceptional to the rights you already have. If you exercise your other rights as an American, exercise this right to silence.

2. Your Words Could Get Twisted

Under duress, your words could be twisted. Twisted words become weapons in court. Remaining silent means there’s nothing anyone can twist or use against you.

3. Implication Is Interpretive

Implicating yourself in a crime takes you saying the wrong thing to the wrong people, namely to the police. Implication is also interpretive, which means that what you say could be interpreted more than one way, and therefore used against you. You can’t implicate yourself in anything if you don’t say a thing.

4. Guilt by Association Isn’t Really Guilt

Feeling bad about something that happened or something you witnessed isn’t guilt by association. Yet you could end up acting like you are guilty when you are not. Don’t put yourself in jail needlessly. Ask for a lawyer and then remain quiet until your lawyer shows up.

5. Everything You Say to the Police Is Recorded

Everything you say to the police is recorded whether in a report, audio or video. The minute you walk into the police station and you are under arrest, everything is likely recorded. Visual and audio recordings are used in court, so don’t speak or act in a way that could be misinterpreted. Just stay quiet.