# How did you spend your New Year's--me, I was arrested for murder. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488 "2007-01-03T01:18:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/61 "2007-01-14T03:13:01Z")
I’m glad to hear the way things are headed. I hope you’ll keep us informed after the next stage. Best wishes. ---
**Author:** ![notthatagain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@notthatagain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notthatagain)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/62 "2007-01-14T03:56:52Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] I’m assuming that your attorney will be present for the interrogation, you seem too smart to have it any other way. I don’t know if you noticed, but I was celebrating my 17th birthday on the day that you were born. 13 is my “lucky number”. [/QUOTE] A Pleasant & Cheerful birthday greeting to YOU sir! 😃 Hope the events of this day have been most agreeable. Yes, we “Lucky 13” types **are** a special (or in _my_ case: _peculiar_) breed. My birth occurred on a Friday, so I’ve a ready explanation for any incidental deviance from normalcy. Hey! Maybe I should’ve tried _that_ line in court… My attorney will _not_ be present for the interrogation. In Michigan, this interrogation always follows a state administered polygraph exam, and according to my attorney, (a former police detective), police will, without telling you what your polygraph results were; use their “interview techniques” to compel you to confess. Since polygraph results, “good OR bad,” cannot be admitted as evidence in a trial, and participation in a polygraph exam is strictly voluntary, the interrogated does not have a right to have an attorney present. For the first time since this nightmare began, I’m actually _looking forward_ to an upcoming interaction with the police. Then it’ll all be over… Aaaah. If I was 17 the day I was born, I’d have dated that girl in the poodle skirt… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/63 "2007-01-14T04:04:05Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] Assuming his facts were true. No specific reason to question, but this _is_ the internet. It would be nice to know. Anybody in Detroit that could check the local news? BTW his profile shows that this is his birthday also. [/QUOTE] Check the news? I don’t think “Cops arrest man for breaking window” is going to be making headlines in Detroit. ---
**Author:** ![notthatagain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@notthatagain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notthatagain)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/64 "2007-01-14T04:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Check the news? I don’t think “Cops arrest man for breaking window” is going to be making headlines in Detroit. [/QUOTE] Just for the sake of perspective, the incident occurred in a small suburb north of Detroit. While the crime did “melt” down to a broken window, the original charge was Breaking & Entering a building with intent to commit larceny - a 10 year, $50,000 Felony. :eek: I was VERY fortunate that our county newspaper opted to omit that police blotter entry from the “CrimeWatch” section on page 3A. In the city of Detroit, a newsworthy headline would more likely be: “Man finds building window _not_ broken - Claims all the rocks had been stolen…” ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/65 "2007-01-15T02:36:31Z")
It’s so sad that all the beautiful art deco buildings in that town have deteriorated to the point of lost forever. Block after block of desterted buildings. Detroit doesn’t look very different from New Orleans. They can’t even tear down the dangerous crumbing buildings, for lack of funds. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/66 "2007-01-15T22:03:02Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] Eyewitness accounts are notoriously prone to error. Up to 66% error, I’ve heard. In the heat of events people’s memories often err. [/QUOTE] That’s not how I recall it. /rashomon ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/67 "2007-01-16T00:21:58Z")
**bdgr** , I don’t know how long ago that happened to you, but in the 60s and 70s the cops in Texas were infamous for acting like this. I’m sorry it happened to you. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/68 "2007-01-16T06:42:01Z")
> [@Way Too Happy](#): > > I was VERY fortunate that our county newspaper opted to omit that police blotter entry from the “CrimeWatch” section on page 3A. I don’t know how the police blotter works up there, but the only ones I’ve seen are incredibly generic. Would they have said anything more specific about you than “a local man”? When I made the front page of a student newspaper the morning after my marijuana possession arrest back in my first semester in college, the only information they gave about me was that I was a student living in one of the four dorm halls adjacent to where I was cited. (Granted, the focus of the article was the football players I was caught with, but most of the interesting stuff was about me as I was the one caught smoking it and I was the focus of the questioning.) ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/69 "2007-01-17T00:36:56Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] I don’t know how the police blotter works up there, but the only ones I’ve seen are incredibly generic. Would they have said anything more specific about you than “a local man”? When I made the front page of a student newspaper the morning after my marijuana possession arrest back in my first semester in college, the only information they gave about me was that I was a student living in one of the four dorm halls adjacent to where I was cited. [/QUOTE] I think it has to do with how recent the arrest was. Police are often reluctant to release specific information to the press regarding things like this, but eventually it goes public, and the press can get it freely. Only when it’s a really famous person do they get the info immediately. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/70 "2007-01-17T00:53:28Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] I think it has to do with how recent the arrest was. Police are often reluctant to release specific information to the press regarding things like this, but eventually it goes public, and the press can get it freely. Only when it’s a really famous person do they get the info immediately. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I dated a few gals w/ “poodle skirts”, saddle shoes too. I was in the crowd w/ the leather M/C jackets and DA haircuts (think the Fonzie). I hope you’ll update this after your 7 Feb. date w/ destiny? ---
**Author:** ![notthatagain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@notthatagain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notthatagain)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/71 "2007-01-17T01:58:04Z")
Nobody’s looking forward to a happy ENDING more than I. Will keep posting ‘til it’s over. Haven’t responded to the insurance company’s demand for reimbursement yet, but I’ve got a feeling it’s _not_ going to be a very _polite_ response! The lie detector test & interrogation should be pretty cool. Knowing that vindication awaits, I’m anxious to “get it on!” Kind of a “Take THAT!” response. One thing that’s changed in my life is the prayer list addition of all the folks everywhere, who’ve suffered this situation with less than fair outcomes. I’ve been amazed at the number of postings, plus the horror stories (yeah, somethin’ like that happened to me too…) told me in real life. Policemen are _NOT_ your friends; they are perfectly willing, and equally prone to be your adversaries.\* I’m lucky that _my_ nightmare is coming to an end without prison. Pray for the others. - I know, there’s _good_cops out there - but they _all_ spook me now. No offense meant to law enforcement agents who are more professional in the execution of their duties than the one **I** had to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/72 "2007-01-17T05:11:54Z")
My suburb’s paper gives name, address, age, and exactly what it is you did. :eek: (Not that I’ve been featured, but it’s interesting seeing the neighbors’ teenagers’ drinking busts, the shoplifters at the local mall, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/73 "2007-01-17T08:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] Yeah, I dated a few gals w/ “poodle skirts”, saddle shoes too. I was in the crowd w/ the leather M/C jackets and DA haircuts (think the Fonzie). I hope you’ll update this after your 7 Feb. date w/ destiny? [/QUOTE] I’m glad that you dated some gals with poodle skirts and saddle shoes, though I have no idea what those things may be. I assume they were good. And I think I’ll pass on the DA haircut, because the Fonzie sounds like an infection of some kind I’d rather avoid. ---
**Author:** ![notthatagain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@notthatagain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notthatagain)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-you-spend-your-new-years-me-i-was-arrested-for-murder/386488/74 "2007-02-03T05:47:39Z")
But the session didn’t really get off on the right foot. I had to take the polygraph at the jail where I’d been held prisoner on 12/13 October. The polygraph operator, unaware that I am still incredibly bitter about the scars my reputation undeservedly bears, was defending the police (jerk-ette) officer for her actions. He probably has to do that a lot. But he’s probably never had anybody tell him: “I know it only takes an Associates degree to be a cop, but she could’ve used what brains she had…!” I didn’t need a polygraph to determine his blood pressure had suddenly risen; his whole face promptly turned red while he did his best not to rise from his chair and throttle me on the spot. That _was_ a pretty shitty remark, and it really didn’t serve my best interests. I keep _trying_ to feel bad for saying it. The entire session lasted 2.5 hours. The first 90 minutes were spent “developing the questions”. “We” were going to develop the questions I’d be asked during the polygraph exam. There was no “we”. HE developed the questions as he asked them during the \ pre-polygraph information session. Although I resented some of the questions, I dared not challenge them, lest he believe I was _hiding_ something, and the session suddenly be ex-ten-ded. His “hidden” video camera was a cheesy looking thermostat cover that was so out of place and phony looking, anybody who’s ever worked in a commercial building would spot it right away. Oh, and then there was the horizontal file drawer labeled “Blank VHS Tapes”. I never let on that his covert observation was bloody obvious. He left the room several times. “Oops, my pen’s out of ink. Be right back.” 20 minutes later, he returned. There were a couple more lame excuses for leaving the office, then remaining absent for 10 minutes or so before returning. I’m sure that people intent on not being truthful present certain body language cues, and I’m hoping that staring directly into the \