If you have seen shows that feature people getting into trouble with the police, you may have noticed one thing a lot of those people say when the police ask them where they were at a certain time. Often, those under suspicion tell the police to ring their girlfriend, boss, friend or someone else, to confirm that they were where they say they were.
This is known as having an alibi. Of course, in some of those shows, the alibi is actually false, as the other person is just trying to get the person the police suspect of a crime out of trouble. That’s never advisable as giving a false alibi could see both parties get in trouble.
So, what can you do if the police are asking where you were, and you don’t have a genuine human alibi to confirm that you were where you say? Is there any other form of alibi?
Non-human ones
Maybe you were out driving with your dog. Unfortunately, animals cannot provide alibis. Yet there are often plenty of non-human alibis that could work to back up your story. Here are some:
- Location tracking: If you were running with your dog, you may have been recording your route with something like Strava. Many such apps record time and place. Depending on the settings on your phone, that, too, may have recorded where you were. Even if you do not have a fancy phone, if you placed a call, it may be possible to ask the phone provider to show the location the call was made.
- Cameras: There are lots of cameras all over the state, and retracing the route you traveled to see which may have caught footage of you could be useful to help your defense.
- Receipts: Maybe you were out shopping, or stopped to fill your vehicle up with gas. If so, you may have a physical receipt, or if you paid by card, be able to pull up a receipt of the transaction time from your card provider.
As with any encounter with the police, seeking legal guidance is often wise at the first hint that they suspect you of a crime.