Maybe I’m just face-blind or being dense but the photos from the scene of the crime look like a different dude than the ginning hostel check in guy. The jackets and backpacks are different. Although people can have multiple jackets and backpacks. We don’t see much of the shooters face but the eyebrows look different. Although, people can pluck/shave eyebrows. I guess the happy hostel guy would have come forward and been like “WTF?” and “I have an alibi” if it wasn’t him?
And if the cops do ask and want to pursue questioning you … you don’t talk to the cops in this situation and just ask for a lawyer … they ask what your name is - lawyer … what is your date of birth - lawyer … where are you from? lawyer … lawyer, lawyer, lawyer
Never talk to the cops, especially when the cops are desperately looking for a suspect.
Don’t ask. Tell them to get you your lawyer.
What if you don’t have a lawyer? I know the state can set one up for you, but I also know those lawyers are overworked. They take on something like 12,000 cases per year, and get on average 4 minutes to prepare your case.
Could I just call my mom and be like “FIND A LAWYER RIGHT NOW PLEASE!”?
You can use your phone call for whomever, just know it’s not private and you best hope whomever you call will actually help you.
The distinction I was making is that the response to “can you get me a lawyer?” could just be the cops walking out of the room and coming back several hours later and seeing if you’ve changed your mind. The same thing for “I’ll wait till my lawyer is here.”
Isn’t your “phone call” a Hollywood trope? It’s not like you get to gamble on the highest stakes call of your life (oops, line’s busy or you misdialed or whatever), but you only get one chance like it’s some legal gotcha the cops can pull on a suspect.
At least in Florida, according to this, you are entitled to complete at least one phone call.
It’s too bad that cops are and COs think they are above the law. They WILL steal all your money, they MAY beat you up, and you MAY get a phone call if you behave like you’re their little bitch. They like that.
It’s the state’s responsibility/problem to bring you a lawyer if you can’t afford one before the police question you. If the cops are so sure you committed a crime then they’ll charge you and get a public defender assigned so they can interrogate you with a lawyer present. If they don’t have enough evidence they’ll try to bully you into talking without a lawyer present and trick you into confessing. This is one of 403 reasons why it’s important to ask for a lawyer then shut the fuck up until your lawyer arrives.