Police can question you and — even if you say nothing — they're allowed to testify about your "demeanor" and "body language" during questioning.
Most judges will allow this as a form of expert testimony.
That's why STFU is not enough. You need to explicitly say "I invoke my 5th amendment rights"
The reason you need to clearly, and LOUDLY invoke your Fifth Amendment rights for the bodycam footage is so your lawyer can help you and your comrades later.
Cops might not give a fuck about your rights in the moment, but PLEASE don't make your lawyer's job harder for no reason.
Use the script.
May 13, 2025 00:23Dealing with cops questioning you is one of those areas where it's REALLY important to LISTEN to people with lived experience in these situations.
There's a lot of "folk knowledge" and a lot of it is bad advice.
There is a script for a reason. Don't make it easier for the cops to jam you up.
Cops don't give a fuck about the law. They'll violate your rights with impunity.
There's very little you can say or do while in custody to help your situation in that moment.
But you can DEFINITELY make your situation worse. And you can get your friends jammed up without realizing it.
Anyone who has defended activists or even read grand jury transcripts will know what I'm talking about.
The longer the questioning goes on, the more the cops have to use.
After you invoke, assuming you keep that STFU energy going, nothing is admissible. They have to stop questioning you.
Do not improvise the script.
DO practice the script. Get the wording exactly right.
Practice it so you can recite the script when you're stressed, injured, sleep-deprived, grabbed off the streets by surprise, awoken at 5am with a gun pointed at you.
All realistic scenarios for activists.
This is what I'm talking about. It happens all the time.
And protesters get sent away for 5-10 years because their buddy thought it'd be safe to admit they carpooled to a protest together ("because that's not admitting to a crime and the cops already seem to know").
Boom. Overt act in furtherance.
I can attest to this. Pig said on the stand that I was startled when he revealed his "evidence" which showed my guilt. Motherfucker, I was startled that you made up some complete bullshit and I was facing 5 - 10 years.
Here's the short version of the script. You can also add "I want a lawyer" and "I do not consent to any searches" but the most important part of the script is to invoke the 5th.
If you're press/media in CA you can invoke your 1st too.
And don't say "I want a lawyer, dawg" 😂 Keep it simple.
POT BROTHERS AT LAW THE Script #potbrothersatlaw #stfu
YouTube video by Pot Brothers at Law
Yeah don’t cite a script without sharing it loud and clear!!
