Eighteen months ago Knox's parents gave an interview to the Sunday Times in which they said their daughter had ''been abused physically and verbally," Sky News reported.  Curt Knox, from Seattle, added in the interview: ''She told us she was hit in the back of the head by a police officer with an open hand, at least twice.  ''The police told her, 'If you ask for a lawyer, things will get worse for you' and 'If you don't give us some explanation for what happened, you're going to go to jail for a very long time'.''  In June when Knox testified in her trial she repeated the accusations, saying it was a female officer who had hit her twice and called her a stupid liar - which was denied by both police and prosecutors.

Yesterday, in Florida, Tiger Woods and his wife were supposed to meet with police investigators in connection with Tiger's early morning car accident on Friday.  Rumors became widely circulated that the cause and impetus of the incident was a domestic dispute between Tiger and his wife, Elin.  Suddenly, neither Tiger nor Elin were "available" to be interviewed.  Does anyone really believe that is just a coincidence?

When speaking with the police, less is more!  In the federal system, such as cases involving white collar crime such as wiretapping, individuals can turn from person of interest to federal supect unbelievably quickly by saying the wrong thing.  Then, based on their own comments to investigators, they find themselves in very hot water;  Just ask Martha Stewart.

Everyday, individuals are faced with the prospect of a police interview; a person allegedly involved in a hit-and-run, someone seen possibly commiting a crime on camera, or just an individual that may have information.  As an experienced criminal defense attorney based in Southern California, I fight extremely hard everyday to protect the rights of the accused.  I often speak of, and have written extensively about, the need to get professional legal advice from a top, experienced criminal defense attorney before talking with the police.  Obviously, most cases do not make the headlines of a case like ones involving Tiger Woods or Amanda Knox.  But, we all can learn valuable lessons from those cases.  Most importantly, words matter.  Again, when it comes to police interviews, think very hard before opening your mouth.  Do not be fooled by promises of leniency or threats by police officers who are just interested in making their cases easier to prove.  Above all else, the first step must be to consult with a criminal defense attorney before doing or saying anything to anyone.  If you, a friend, or a loved needs help now anywhere in Southern California -- from Ventura County to Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, Orange County, and even San Diego County -- contact the experienced criminal defense team at the Law Offices of Richard M. Sudar at (310) 277-4112.  You can also simply click here for immediate assistance.