When the police question you, they expect you to be honest with them. You may assume that this expectation goes both ways. You also expect the police officers to be honest as the two of you talk about the situation that has occurred.
But this is a dangerous assumption to make. The reality is that the police officers are definitely allowed to lie to you. They do not have to be honest, and they can deceive you or trick you if they believe it will help their case. They have absolutely no obligation to stick to the truth, whether that means stretching or altering the truth or even telling outright lies.
Seeking a confession
One reason the police will do this is when they’re trying to get someone to confess to a crime. If they believe that lying about evidence will help get a confession, for instance, they may decide to do so.
This sometimes happens when multiple people get arrested. Both people may refuse to talk to the police without their lawyer, as is their right. But the police officer may then tell one of the individuals that the other person confessed to everything. They will try to use this to say that the person who hasn’t confessed should simply be honest and admit what they did.
But the police officers may be lying the entire time, and the other person may not have confessed to anything. They’re just trying to trick either person into incriminating themselves.
This is why it’s so very important that you understand all of your legal rights if you’re facing any sort of criminal accusations.
