Avoiding Criminal Trouble when Exercising Your Rights
When advocating on campus , you should do your best to avoid violating any laws or university policies . And if you act reasonably and respectfully of others , it is highly unlikely that you will find yourself on the wrong side of law enforcement . If , however , you ever find yourself engaged with law enforcement or campus security , there are several basic practices you should be sure to follow :
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Comply promptly with all requests made by law enforcement officers and campus security ( for example , to leave a certain location ) even if you believe that you have done nothing wrong . Do not argue or resist a law enforcement officer during the interaction . You will always be better served addressing any violations of your rights after the controversy is over . Your failure to comply with a law enforcement officer ’ s requests could get you arrested or worse .
You generally do not have to answer an officer ’ s questions about your conduct or advocacy . Especially if you think others may perceive you as having done something wrong , politely decline to answer and ask if you are free to go . If the answer is yes , then walk away calmly .
If you are placed under arrest , or if an officer says that you are not under arrest but you are not free to go , you should politely decline to answer questions except for basic identifying information ( such as your name ) and ask for a lawyer .