Short guide. No bullshit.
Shut up. Get a lawyer. A pack of Camel. The rest will work out.
This is not legal advice. It's common sense.| # | Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Show up | Go to DIICOT if you received a summons. | Not showing up leads to an arrest warrant. Police show up at your door. |
| 02 | Find out what it's about | Listen. Find out in what capacity you were called: witness, suspect, defendant. | Each capacity comes with different rights. Read the documents, don't sign anything you don't understand. |
| 03 | Shut up CRITICAL | Don't say anything beyond your ID details. Zero statements, zero explanations. | Anything you say can be used against you. Silence is not an admission of guilt. |
| 04 | Refuse statements CRITICAL | Say: «I will not give statements without my chosen lawyer.» | You have the legal right to refuse. They cannot force you. |
| 05 | Get a lawyer | Criminal lawyer with DIICOT experience. Not a cousin, not a friend. Court-appointed lawyers are assigned at the tribunal, not at DIICOT. | A specialist costs 3,000-5,000 EUR. Compare that with the alternative. |
| 06 | Request the file | Your lawyer requests a copy of the case file for review. | That's everything they have against you. Without the file, you can't properly defend yourself. |
| 07 | No plea deal CRITICAL | Refuse any guilty plea agreement on the spot. | It's final. No going back. Without a lawyer, don't accept anything. |
| 08 | Don't snitch CRITICAL | Don't rat anyone out. Say you need to think about it. Talk to your lawyer. | You become a permanent informant. Today one, tomorrow another, it never ends. |
| 09 | Wiretaps | Don't discuss details on the phone. Messages from the informant are already in the file. | Phone wiretaps require a warrant. But what the informant showed them is already evidence. |
| 10 | At the tribunal | «I'm waiting for my chosen counsel.» then «I request a postponement to hire different counsel.» | Every postponement is time gained. You can delay a few times with these lines. |
| 11 | Get ready | Job, diploma, employment contract, recommendation letters. Gather everything. | The judge would rather let you walk than pay ~200,000 RON/year to keep you locked up. |
| 12 | Show you're a decent person | Evidence: employment, education, taxes paid, recommendations. | DIICOT and the tribunal want to know you're a productive member of society. |
| DO | DON'T |
|---|---|
Show up if you received an official summons | Don't run, don't hide, don't ignore the summons |
Shut up — only your ID details | Don't give statements without a lawyer next to you |
Get a criminal lawyer with DIICOT experience | Don't go with a divorce lawyer or your cousin who knows some law |
Read the documents before you sign anything | Don't sign anything without understanding what you're signing |
Request the case file through your lawyer | Don't accept a guilty plea on the spot |
Say you need to think when they propose something | Don't snitch — you become an informant for life |
Gather evidence that you're a decent person: job, education, taxes | Don't destroy evidence if you have an open case |
Use a PIN on your phone, not face/fingerprint | Don't discuss details on the phone or in messages |