Legal Question in Criminal Law in Ohio

Strange email from vice squad Ohio

I received an email from Columbus ohio vice squad officer asking for people whom the email was sent to email back a date time and number where we could be reached for questions regarding some prostitution ring in Ohio. The email states that recipients are either a provider client or person of interest and that most are not the focus of the investigation. I believe my email address was there since myself and a coworker were joking around one day and sent them an email inquiring about them etc. Since I have done nothing else and have nothing to hide should I go ahead and send a response and talk to the police or should I not respond and wait to see what happens. Again, it looks as if this email from vice was sent to many people so are they just fishing for responses or what?

Thanks


Asked on 10/16/08, 2:56 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Richard Cline Office of the Ohio Public Defender

Re: Strange email from vice squad Ohio

Based on the facts stated in your email, it does sound like this is a "fishing expedition" where the police are trying to find people who used the services. If you have nothing at all to hide, about any topic at all, then there is no harm talking to the police. Unfortunately, many clients start out talking to the police "with nothing to hide" and end up in jail.

The police are legally permitted to lie to you during the course of their investigation. That means that if they want to verify that you are the person who used this email account they could make up this entire story about a prostitution ring just in the hopes that you will respond -- and thus prove that you are the person who uses this email account. I have no idea if that is what is going on, but neither do you.

It is sad to say, but I find that, as a general rule, my clients should not talk to the police about anything unless they are accompanied by an attorney.

Good luck with this situation.

Sincerely,

Rich Cline

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Answered on 10/16/08, 3:09 pm


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