With the rate of wrongful convictions between two and ten percent, it’s fair to assume you might face charges despite being innocent. It’s imperative to protect your rights in Tennessee like James Kenton, a Tennessee roofer accused of home improvement fraud.

His charges were dismissed because he took the following steps.

Hire a Lawyer

Hire a lawyer at the first sign of trouble, even if you’re innocent. Many innocent defendants assume they will have the right to freedom because they haven’t done anything. They may also think hiring an attorney early in the proceeding will make them look guilty.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. If anything, you must hire a lawyer when you enter that interrogation room because law enforcement officers will try to extract information from you. They will make it sound like you have no choice but to do this, but they cannot force you to do anything you don’t want to.

A lawyer can protect your rights in these tense situations, ask the cops to keep investigating alternate theories, and present evidence professing your innocence.

Plead the Fifth

Taking or pleading the Fifth is a right granted to all US citizens to refuse to answer any questions that might incriminate them. When someone is falsely accused of a crime, their emotions run high. Therefore, they might want to profess their innocence at every turn.

Lawyers don’t recommend that without proper forethought because the prosecution may latch on to any inconsistencies in your story. When facing criminal charges, losing credibility is the last thing you want.

Decline Warrantless Searches

Any evidence gathered without a court-issued warrant is inadmissible unless the defendant agrees to the search, testing, seizure, or anything else that may require a warrant; this is where you come in.

While you might be eager to prove your innocence, you have yet to learn how the officers will perceive a search. You have the right to decline a search or DNA test until a warrant forces your hand. Use it to your advantage.

Learn from the Criminal Case Against Kenton

Knowing you have rights is the first step towards protecting them. Protect your rights in Tennessee like the Tennessee roofer when his life turned upside down due to a fraud he didn’t commit. Although he was acquitted in the Tennessee roofing fraud case, he wished he knew some of what he knows now to protect his rights in the face of persecution.

Follow the Tennessee roofer who has recently filed a motion against the state for not complying with his discovery request.