Hello, I live in Pennsylvania, and I understand that I have a right to stay silent with exception of identity information.
However, what if police ask if there are any illegal things on my person or in my car?
I know its illegal to lie to police, but I also understand that I can stay silent. Although I do NOT carry illegal things on me, a friend of mine asked me this question and I was seriously stumped. I don't know much about law but the whole "stay silent" vs. "don't lie" thing comes to mind and I couldn't give him a straight answer and wonder if I was in a situation where I'd be asked that and I did have something on me.
And if Police take additional measures to search, they might be able to through some sort of vague probable cause, and then they find whatever is illegal, and say that such-n-such lied to police because they didn't admit they knowingly had it during the initial questioning.
Maybe I'm just too much in my head... haha, but it sometimes just seems like staying silent can throw on some extra charges like lying and hiding evidence.
However, what if police ask if there are any illegal things on my person or in my car?
I know its illegal to lie to police, but I also understand that I can stay silent. Although I do NOT carry illegal things on me, a friend of mine asked me this question and I was seriously stumped. I don't know much about law but the whole "stay silent" vs. "don't lie" thing comes to mind and I couldn't give him a straight answer and wonder if I was in a situation where I'd be asked that and I did have something on me.
And if Police take additional measures to search, they might be able to through some sort of vague probable cause, and then they find whatever is illegal, and say that such-n-such lied to police because they didn't admit they knowingly had it during the initial questioning.
Maybe I'm just too much in my head... haha, but it sometimes just seems like staying silent can throw on some extra charges like lying and hiding evidence.