Four little words — “I didn’t do anything!” — have put more people in handcuffs than you’d believe. Most people blurt them out nervously, thinking it helps. In reality, it almost always makes things worse.
I’m Joel Chorny, a criminal defense attorney in Arizona. What follows is general information, not legal advice for your specific situation. If you’re facing charges, you need your own lawyer.
Picture this: a client of mine was driving home late at night in Tucson after a long shift. He was tired. Blue and red lights flashed in his mirror. He pulled over, heart pounding.
Before the officer even asked a question, my client blurted out, “I didn’t do anything!”
To him, it was just nerves. But those words went straight into the police report: “Driver spontaneously denied wrongdoing before I even explained the reason for the stop.”
That one line made him look defensive. Prosecutors highlighted it. And later, when I read it, I could already hear how a jury might take it: Why would he say that unless he had something to hide?
The truth was, he hadn’t done anything wrong. But his words became a hurdle that never should have existed.
Contrast that with another client who stayed calm. He handed over his license and registration. When the officer pressed with questions — Where are you headed? Have you been drinking? — he calmly said:
“I’m choosing to remain silent. Am I free to leave?”
That sentence went into the report too. But notice the difference: nothing about guilt, nothing defensive, just a clear assertion of rights. That gave me room to argue about the stop, the evidence, and the law — without his own words being twisted against him.
The criminal system runs on paper. Officers write reports. Prosecutors rely on them to decide charges. Months later, jurors hear about them in court.
Your nervous denial gets frozen in time. The context — the flashing lights, the fear — disappears. All that’s left is a single line: “The driver denied wrongdoing.”
And prosecutors know how to spin it:
“Ladies and gentlemen, before I even accused the defendant of anything, he volunteered, ‘I didn’t do anything.’ Why would he say that? Because he knew he was guilty.”
That’s how they twist words into a story.
Silence, on the other hand, doesn’t give them ammunition. It forces them to rely on actual evidence, not your nerves.
Here’s the rule: never say “I didn’t do anything.”
Instead, memorize this line:
Practice it. Say it out loud until it feels natural. Because when the stress hits, you’ll default to what’s automatic. Better it be this than a nervous denial.
Use it at a traffic stop, at your front door, or at a DUI checkpoint. Short. Respectful. Calm. Unshakable.
Rights aren’t loopholes for guilty people. They are the foundation of fairness. They protect everyone — innocent people, vulnerable people, people in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Here in Arizona, with bilingual communities and border patrol stops being a reality, this is even more important. Saying, “Prefiero permanecer en silencio. ¿Estoy libre para irme?” is not just protecting yourself. It shows that rights belong to all of us, regardless of language or background.
Teaching this habit to your kids can give them real protection. One day, whether at a traffic stop or questioned at a party, those words could keep them safe.
Never say, “I didn’t do anything.” Those words help no one.
Instead, stay calm. Stay respectful. Use the line that protects you:
“I’m choosing to remain silent. Am I free to leave?”
“Prefiero permanecer en silencio. ¿Estoy libre para irme?”
Your rights matter. Protect them.
