I live in New York. I dont mean the police did bad things, its just a mistake they may have made. Its a long story so bare with me.
Reciently my friend was caught shoplifting and I was with him at the time. We walked out the door together and an LP had noticed him and ran up to us and said he saw him put stuff into his bag. My friend dropped the bag immediatly took off running. The LP didnt stand a chance of getting him so he ran up to me and grabbed my arm and brought me into the back room saying I assisted in a crime.
The police showed up and asked who my friend was but I refused to answer. When he looked in the bag he found some spray paint which was going to be used for obvious activities. My dad showed up, and pressured me into giving them my friends name and also saying what the paint was going to be used for. They also found out the bag was mine and found my sketch book.
The next day, my dad brought me down to the police station for questioning. At the time I was a little overwhelmed about what was going on and was also very tired because I had to wake up at 4:00 that morning (not to make excuses). They showed me some pictures of graffiti which matched what was in my sketch book so I told them it was me who painted it. Also some of them were my friend although there were no sketches of what my friend writes in the book, I said that he was the one who painted it. I admitted to painting in a truckyard and once behind a grocery store and told them my friend was with me for both times and he might have done other things which all went down onto a statment.
Basicaly Im off the hook because im under 15 and the police are friends with my dad, but my friend is 16 and has had several court hearings but they keep getting pushed back. We both live in New York.
Im not worried about the shoplifting because thats a deffinate charge on him. What I was wondering about is the painting. The only evidence they have is he was stealing paint and my witness statment.
What im confused about is...
1. Since I put in a statment do I have to testify in court against my friend or can I refuse?
2. I was not once read my rights so is there any way I could say I didnt know could remain silent and get my statment thrown out?
Thanks ahead for your help
Reciently my friend was caught shoplifting and I was with him at the time. We walked out the door together and an LP had noticed him and ran up to us and said he saw him put stuff into his bag. My friend dropped the bag immediatly took off running. The LP didnt stand a chance of getting him so he ran up to me and grabbed my arm and brought me into the back room saying I assisted in a crime.
The police showed up and asked who my friend was but I refused to answer. When he looked in the bag he found some spray paint which was going to be used for obvious activities. My dad showed up, and pressured me into giving them my friends name and also saying what the paint was going to be used for. They also found out the bag was mine and found my sketch book.
The next day, my dad brought me down to the police station for questioning. At the time I was a little overwhelmed about what was going on and was also very tired because I had to wake up at 4:00 that morning (not to make excuses). They showed me some pictures of graffiti which matched what was in my sketch book so I told them it was me who painted it. Also some of them were my friend although there were no sketches of what my friend writes in the book, I said that he was the one who painted it. I admitted to painting in a truckyard and once behind a grocery store and told them my friend was with me for both times and he might have done other things which all went down onto a statment.
Basicaly Im off the hook because im under 15 and the police are friends with my dad, but my friend is 16 and has had several court hearings but they keep getting pushed back. We both live in New York.
Im not worried about the shoplifting because thats a deffinate charge on him. What I was wondering about is the painting. The only evidence they have is he was stealing paint and my witness statment.
What im confused about is...
1. Since I put in a statment do I have to testify in court against my friend or can I refuse?
2. I was not once read my rights so is there any way I could say I didnt know could remain silent and get my statment thrown out?
Thanks ahead for your help
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