Under Investigation in San Diego

Defendants in a criminal prosecution frequently make mistakes that cost them dearly. One common mistake occurs before the individual is officially a defendant. People all too often think they do not need a lawyer if the police want to talk to them. The reality is, however, that you should always consult a lawyer if the police want to talk to you before agreeing to speak to them.

If the police want to speak to you, they have a reason plain and simple. They either feel you are a suspect in a crime or a witness. If you contacted the police regarding a crime then speaking to them may not be a problem; however, if the police show up on your doorstep and want to talk to you about a crime and you did not contact them, you should speak to a lawyer before talking to them.

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The police are trained to get people to talk. More specifically, they are trained to get people to incriminate themselves when they talk. Many people have operated under the belief that they are too smart to get trapped into saying something they shouldn’t. The vast majority of those people ended up being convicted of something. Even if you legitimately have nothing to hide, you should still not speak to the police without counsel. Something you say can be misconstrued or taken out of context and actually turn you into a suspect when you may not have been one to begin with.

One of the most common tactics of law enforcement is to try and get you to consent to a search of your home. They may show up and ask to “talk to you” for a few minutes. If you make the mistake of letting them in you have already given up some of your rights. They may then try and convince you that they have enough evidence to get a search warrant but since they are already there it would be easier for everyone involved if you just give them consent to search. If they have enough evidence for a search warrant, make them get one. Don’t give them consent without talking to an attorney first.

If you are under investigation in San Diego, the basic rule should always be to consult with an attorney before talking to the police. It is your absolute right to do so and, if it is truly in your best interest to speak to them, your attorney can advise you to do so.

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Domenic Lombardo

Domenic J. Lombardo, Attorney at Law and a member of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ), graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning a B.A. in Economics-Business, before graduating with his J.D. from University of California, Hastings School of Law. Mr. Lombardo has been practicing as a criminal defense lawyer in San Diego for nearly 30 years, having started at the San Diego Office of the Public Defender in 1991 and then opened the Law Office of Domenic J. Lombardo in early 1996 as a sole practitioner. His practice is dedicated entirely to the defense of individuals accused of crimes and university misconduct, including Title IX allegations. While Mr. Lombardo works as the primary attorney for all his cases, he does have a team of investigators, forensic consultants, and paralegals to call on to help achieve the best possible result in every case. When he is not working, Mr. Lombardo is a family man, triathlete, and world traveler.

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