The risks of saying too much too soon are:
1. Persuading the plaintiff or prosecution that they have a case against you;
2. Confessing to crimes or conduct not yet suspected (frequently this happens while the defendant believes he is actually improving the situation);
3. Lying to the police – this one is really no help at sentencing;
4. Becoming legitimately confused in your story and thus wrongly giving the impression of lying;
5. Incriminating others either wrongly, or even correctly but receiving no concessions in return; and,
6. Generally facilitating and encouraging the thought that you can, “talk your way out of this.” You normally can not. You normally only talk yourself in deeper. Your interrogators are professionals. You are, at best, a well practiced amateur.
There is a generalized belief that if I am “nice” to the police or plaintiff’s attorney we can get this over with and they will be “nice” to me. They will not. I repeat, they will not. It simply is not their job, nor in their interest.
Remember, government, and all of its various criminal and civil strata, are legal authorities, not moral authorities. If you have a burning desire to confess, go to your house of worship and at least get absolution in return. You may say that the confessions of the guilty are good for the system, good for society, and possibly on some level good for the defendant. I agree. But then at least let that confession occur after a private discussion with an attorney, not before.