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Defendants, those charged with crimes, are often upset when they read the police report. Police reports are allegations. Just because it's in writing does not mean its accurate. Police reports are not meant to make you feel good. They don't say nice things about you. They are mean to justify an arrest. They are meant to get a conviction. It's rare that a defendant agrees with what the arresting officer wrote about them. They often say, "that's not what happened. They are mistaken. That's not true. They are lying, etc." POLICE REPORTS ARE ALLEGATIONS AND THEY CANNOT BE ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE so talk about the facts with your attorney. Your Florida criminal defense lawyer will explain that there are mechanisms to deal with police officer testimony.
In Florida, those charged with felony crimes can automatically set depositions of officers and other witnesses. A deposition is where your lawyer will ask questions of witnesses while they are under oath. The questions are all recorded and written down. Many of the questions are the same that will be asked in court. The defense attorney will often use transcripts of the of deposition during cross examination. Police reports, prior statements, rebuttal witnesses and other evidence can be used to impeach testimony or reveal the information that you want the fact finder to hear about.
Cross examination is the best way of breaking down witness testimony. Whether its a police officer, a victim, or any other witness, cross examination when done properly will allow you to get to the truth. You can't change the police report so focus on what you can do. Your lawyer can point out inconsistencies, contradictions, lack of information, lack of evidence, etc to make the point. Accordingly, take a deep breath and let your criminal defense lawyer do his job. Deion Sanders, a famous football player with swag might say, it's time to show up and show out. Find the right attorney and allow him to do his/her thing.
Please take a deep breath. All police reports justify the arrest and are used to help the prosecutor acquire a conviction. Don't be offended. Don't get bent out of shape. Your attorney will do everything legally possible to prove your innocence. Do your due diligence when searching for a criminal defense trial lawyer. Attorneys may all have similar training or education but like all professionals some do a solid job and some are discombobulated.
Some good and some stink.