I had a professor as an undergrad at NU tell an entire auditorium full of 19/20 year old students about all of the things they should say/do if a cop ever pulls them over. "These are your rights!"
I was arrested a few years later for driving a car w/an expired registration. There was nothing wrong w/my registration and I ended up getting into it with the cop (verbally). The cop was a canine cop assigned to a detail in Dewey Sq. the morning after the panel fell in the tunnel. He was overwhelmed and I became his 1st arrest. He had taken my car keys along with my house keys, work keys, etc. and I was asking him what he was doing; telling him he couldn’t take my keys. That’s when he decided to show me what he could do. He went into his SUV and got out his cuffs. I kept asking what I was being arrested for - he had no answer. FYI, unlike we see on TV, they don't put their hand on your head before they put you in the cruiser. Crack!
I spent the entire day being bounced around prison/holding cells. The cops in the first cell at the station made me take my shoes off. The floors were covered in puddles of urine so I asked why I had to. They told me they needed to make sure I didn’t try to hang myself. I was wearing loafers.
The ride from the station to the courthouse was memorable. Pitch darkness in the back of the paddy wagon and the cop’s taking hard turns. Everyone was sliding into each other and our hands and feet were bound. People coming off their highs started losing their cool; very exciting.
When I got to the courthouse the cops were notified that I had been difficult. My wrist and ankle cuffs were clamped down real tight. They then walked me into the cell area below the courthouse where the place literally erupted. The one thing that I remember hearing clearly was "Beat that white mutha f!%ka! Beat 'em like you beat us!" I've never actually wanted a beating until that moment. I was looking at the cop next to me like "seriously, jab me in the ribs! Make it look good!” They were kind enough to put me in a tamer cell where someone ate my lunch and one of the guys had stabbed someone at the Pine Street Inn...for a dollar! When I finally got in front of the judge, my public defender took the opportunity to apologize for being late. The judge then went on to excuse anyone who was late b/c of the tunnel incident. I was one of the last people to see the judge before the end of the day. Had I not gotten in front of him, they would have had to put me up at a legit prison overnight to see the judge the next day. I had to speak for myself b/c my defender was useless. The judge ordered me to be released to go to the RMV (which was actually worse than jail) to straighten out the situation. I was to come back a few weeks later w/a lawyer (big $) and negotiate a deal (more $) to have my record cleared. Not to mention the ridiculous cost of the tow. Instead they accidentally put me back in the cell and I had to plead my way out. While doing so I realized how guilty I looked and how seemingly impossible the situation was. Luckily, one of the female cops realized the mistake and I was released. I had spent the entire day 8-4 locked up w/out food, literally scared for my life.
My wife, who was my new girlfriend at the time, admitted that she almost left me at the courthouse when she saw me marching into the courtroom in shackles.
The point of my rant; It's always easy for a lawyer to tell someone how things are on paper, and what they should say and do, when they're not facing the real repercussions themselves.