For folks who don’t follow the NFL, Deshaun Watson is a talented athlete who’s currently embroiled in quite a bit of legal trouble. Watson’s alleged misconduct has resulted in 22 civil cases being filed against him, 13 of which had criminal complaints attached. This means there was at least the potential for criminal charges in 13 separate cases, as well as 9 complaints that are purely civil in nature.
When a judge ordered that Watson had to give depositions on the 9 civil complaints, his attorney objected, arguing that his testimony could then be used against him—specifically in a criminal context. As a result, Watson was able to delay the depositions until after the deadline for filing criminal charges.
Believe it or not, the attorneys at the Marc Lopez Law Firm encounter a DUI / OVWI version of this scenario on a regular basis. If you’re charged with a DUI / OVWI and there was a crash involved, you’re going to be getting a lot of phone calls. If the call is from your insurance company, you need to cooperate.
If it’s anyone else’s insurance provider who’s trying to get you to make statements on the record, do yourself a favor and plead the 5th. Just like with the police, anything you say to the insurance agents can be used against you in subsequent criminal litigation. You don’t want to give the State more ammunition than it already has.
Don’t let non-criminal proceedings lead you into greater criminal liability. An experienced attorney can help you decide who to speak to and who not to. If you have any questions, give us a call at 317-632-3642 and remember—always plead the 5th!