EVASIVE VERBAL RESPONSES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

These examples are just a fraction of the information that was taught by Joelle Fisher at the LECC (United States Attorney's Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee) Statewide Conference. Please remember: one brick doesn’t make a home, neither does one evasive answer make someone a liar. We have to look for a cluster of evasive answers to know when someone is being deceptive toward us.

Answers Question with a Question: What do you mean? How should I know? How could I know? What makes you think I’d know? Why are you asking me that? Why do you need to know that? What kind of question is that?

What’s the importance of that question?
I’m not the kind of...: I’m not the kind of person who would do that. I’m not the kind of person who would ever try to do something like that. I’m not the kind of person who would think of doing that. I don’t do things of the nature. I don’t even think about doing things like that. I wouldn’t be able to do anything like that. I couldn’t do something like that.

Trying to Maintain Dignity: I won’t dignify that question with an answer. What kind of question is that? I’ve got better things to do than answer questions like that. I don’t like that question. I don’t see why I have to answer that question. Why would I rob my own store? That’s ridiculous.

Maybe there’s more...: I guess that’s about it. That’s about all I know. That’s about the size of it. That’s about the gist of it, As far as I know, that’s about it. That’s pretty much what happened. There’s not much more to say. There’s not a lot more to say.

Difficult Question: That’s a hard question. That’s a tough question. That’s a good question. That’s a good one. That’s a tough one. That’s a difficult question. That’s a hard one for me.

Does Not Answer Question: Did you steal my chocolate chip cookies? I don’t even like cookies. Did you stab her? I don’t like knives. Did you kill her? I loved her.

Could, Should, Would...: I could deny that. I could say no. I would deny that. I would deny that assertion. I would deny that allegation. I should say not. I should say no. I could say...I would say...

Errors in Words: My answers’ll tree the booth (free the truth). Just that I’m doing everything I can to prove myself guilty. There’s really not true much else I can think about. It’ll show I’m tellin’ not the truth. Should I talk around what we did last night, or what?

Inability to Communicate: I couldn’t say. I can’t say. I can’t think of anything about that. I can’t tell you anything about that. I’m not able to tell you anything. I’m not able to say. I can’t explain anything about that. I couldn’t tell you that. I can say this. I can only tell you this. I can’t really tell you that.

Inability to Remember: Not that I remember. I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything like that. I’m just going off on what I can remember. I guess not. All that I can remember is. I don’t recall. I can’t seem to recall at this time. Not that I recall. Not to my knowledge. I don’t think so.