Heading to a football game in Minnesota is typically a very enjoyable experience, but when you combine opposing fan bases, close finishes and alcohol, it’s easy to see how emotions can boil over and bad decisions can be made. Arrests are made every single gameday at Gopher and Vikings games, and if you or someone in your group has been arrested for vandalism, assault, theft or drunk driving, there are some specific steps you’ll want to take. In today’s blog, we share some tips on the steps you should take if you are arrested at a Vikings or Gopher game.
Arrested On Gameday
There is no perfect playbook for handling a gameday arrest because all situations are unique. That said, if you keep these tips in mind, there’s a good likelihood that you’ll be positioning yourself well to handle the fallout from an arrest and any criminal charges in the best way possible.
1. Comply – Don’t make things worse for yourself by resisting arrest or getting disorderly. That’s only going to lead to more criminal charges, and you may end up in physical pain if law enforcement is required to use force to subdue the involved parties. The truth will come out eventually, so don’t escalate a situation, even if you feel wronged, by resisting or running.
2. Shut It – You’re not going to be able to talk your way out of most situations, so keep your mouth shut. A cop isn’t going to let you keep driving drunk because you’re only a couple blocks from home, and police won’t care that you thought streaking would be a harmless prank, so don’t try to talk your way out of trouble. You can help to clear up an obvious misunderstanding of fact, but other than that, odds are you’re only going to be providing police with further evidence to make their case against you. Stay silent and don’t admit to anything, especially if what you say could be used against you in any way in court.
3. Evidence Collection – If possible, try to document as much of the interaction and arrest as possible. If you can start recording with your phone, or a friend/bystander can record some of the interaction, it can help to build your case. Oftentimes when it’s your word against a police officer’s, the court will side with the officer, but if you have video evidence to provide an unbiased look at what went down, it can help your case.
4. Lawyer Up – Finally, our last and most important piece of advice is to connect with a lawyer as early on in the process as possible. This may even be before you are officially arrested and charged, but certainly make that phone call after you’ve been placed under arrest. The best way to either beat the charges or avoid a worst case scenario is by having a professional in your corner, so don’t try to go to court on your own. Let a lawyer go on the offensive, put forth a strong case and help you reach a favorable outcome to your case.
Hopefully your next football game ends in a home team win instead of handcuffs, but if you end up in trouble, know that legal help is just a phone call away. Give Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm a call at (952) 224-2277.
