I view Larry Williams as innocent. But in this world it is not good enough to be innocent. You have to be smart as well. Now if you are smart enough not to get caught for anything, fine judgements as to the difference between being innocent and being guilty remain a dilemma for the great many others who are less prepared for lifes eventualities and who get caught for something. I am for law and lawfulness. However there is not a criminal justice system; there is only a criminal law system. It may or may not serve justice.
DrPepper, Good post. I've seen that video before but lost the link. Thanks for getting me the info again. FYI - a friend who is also a criminal defense attorney told me exactly the same thing although he didn't give all the elaborate details that are in that video. He said that when you are questioned, the best reply is to say, "Officer, I intend to cooperate with you, but I won't answer any questions." Unfortunately, don't expect a friendly response, and you can't always count on a police officer to be truthful. If there are no witnesses, you could get cracked with a night stick and then charged with resisting arrest or assaulting a police officer - the latter of which is a felony. The more recent implemenation of real time video cameras in the police vehicles does provide you some protection in these incidents.
Based upon other suggestions I have heard about the best thing to say to the police, an even better statement might be "I've done nothing wrong and I intend to cooperate fully as soon as my attorney is present". Even if you are not worried about getting into trouble, it is good to educate your kids and other family members about not talking to the police in order to avoid costly legal bills if something unexpected were to happen.