If you are accused of a crime or are a suspect, you have certain rights. These apply even before you are arrested or even formally accused (or “charged”) in court. However the police do not have to inform you of these rights unless you are “in custody”, meaning the police have arrested you and you are no longer free to leave. Sometimes police will ask you to come in voluntarily to talk and, because you’re there voluntarily, they don’t have to warn you that you are suspected of a crime or that your answers to their questions might be used against you later. REMEMBER: If you’ve been called and asked to come in voluntarily for an interview, your rights still apply.
