Once you have contacted your family or friends, you should seek out an experienced criminal defense lawyer who can quickly find out as much information as possible concerning the reason for your arrest, and arrange to have you released as soon as possible. If you are looking for a New York criminal defense attorney, call Paul D. Petrus Jr. at 212.385.1961/212.564.2440 or you can e-mail at paul@petruslaw.com. Office is located at the Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3601, New York, NY 10118. Visit http://www.petruslaw.com/ for more information.

1. www.petruslaw.com
New York Criminal Defense Lawyer
Phone: 212.564.2440/212.385.1961
paul@petruslaw.com
Disclaimer:
The tips in this presentation are general in nature. Please use your
discretion while following them. The author does not guarantee legal
validity of the tips contained herein.
Do’s and Don’ts Before and
After Arrest

2. After the Arrest…
• Contact your friends and family.
• Contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
• Criminal lawyer will find out relevant information
which concern your arrest.

3. After the arrest
• Criminal lawyer will arrange to have you released
ASAP.
• Never answer any question from law enforcement
without legal representation.
• Don’t get pressurized and confess to crimes you are
not involved in.

4. THE DO’s…
• Be polite and as courteous as possible to the police.
• Ask for the police officer’s name and badge number, or
read it off of his or her badge. Try to get a good look at
the officer’s face so that you can identify him or her
later by that method, if necessary.
• Show the police officer your driver’s license and
registration information (if you are arrested in your
car).

5. THE DO’s…
• Demand the right to have an attorney present before
speaking to the police.
• Clearly inform the police that you will not speak to
them about anything without an attorney being
present.
• Write down everything that happened during the
course of your arrest so that you can use that writing
to refresh your memory at a later date.

6. THE DO’S
• If you are physically injured by the police during the
course of your arrest, seek medical attention and
inform your medical providers of the cause of your
injuries. Take photographs of your injuries as soon as
possible.
• You do not need to answer ANY question that the
police ask of you. If you answer a question which at
first seems harmless, be aware that it may later come
back to haunt you.

7. THE DON’Ts…
• Don’t get into an argument with the police.
• Don’t initiate physical contact with the police, even if
you mean them no harm.
• Don’t interfere with or obstruct the police. If you do,
you can face additional criminal charges.

8. THE DON’Ts…
• Don’t resist arrest. If you resist arrest, you may face
additional charges.
• Don’t allow the police to listen in on any telephone call
that you make to your lawyer once you have been
arrested.
• Don’t speak to the police about anything before you
attorney arrives and talks to you first.

9. THE DON’Ts…
• Don’t agree to have your property searched, once you
are arrested, without your attorney’s advice.
• Don’t sign anything, no matter what it is, without an
attorney being present.
• Don’t say anything if your attorney instructs that you
remain silent. Let your attorney do the talking for you,
no matter how hard it may be to resist the urge to
speak.

10. THE DON’Ts…
• Don’t agree to participate in a line-up without your
attorney being present, unless they refuse to allow
you to have an attorney present.
• Don’t give any information to the police other than
your name and address if you are arrested unless your
attorney is present and approves.
• Don’t lie to your attorney.

11. Contact Us:
Paul D. Petrus, Jr.
The Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue,
Suite,3601,New York, NY 10118
Ph. No.212.385.1961 / 212.564.2440
Email: paul@petruslaw.com
www.petruslaw.com