Originally posted by Cow Poke
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As this article points out, Jim, it happens far more than you'd imagine...
Criminally Yours: Lying To Get To The Truth
and...
I was taught in basic police school this "it's ok to lie to get a confession" -- I never felt comfortable with that, but, yeah - it happens FAR more than you'd ever imagine.
Criminally Yours: Lying To Get To The Truth
Why would someone ever admit to a crime he didn't commit? How could anyone be so naive or stupid? But not only does it happen, it happens more frequently than you would imagine. Why?
A hot topic in criminal law is “false confessions.” Why would someone ever admit to a crime he didn’t commit? How could anyone be so naive or stupid?
But not only does it happen, it happens more frequently than you would imagine. Why?
In large part because it’s legal for police to tell suspects the boldest lies in order to wrangle a confession from them. Among the most common lies are:
– “We’ve got you on video doing the crime, so you might as well admit it.”
– “This is only a small case, just say you did it and you’ll get a drug program.”
A hot topic in criminal law is “false confessions.” Why would someone ever admit to a crime he didn’t commit? How could anyone be so naive or stupid?
But not only does it happen, it happens more frequently than you would imagine. Why?
In large part because it’s legal for police to tell suspects the boldest lies in order to wrangle a confession from them. Among the most common lies are:
– “We’ve got you on video doing the crime, so you might as well admit it.”
– “This is only a small case, just say you did it and you’ll get a drug program.”
and...
The only way psychological gamesmanship might be disapproved by the court is if it’s so egregious as to offend “the notion of fundamental fairness.” But boy, is that a big hurdle.
Take the case of Matthew Thomas. Police lied to him in a manner so egregious, even John McCain would have cracked. Thomas was accused of killing his four-month-old son. After being interrogated for more than nine hours, he was told that if he didn’t admit to doing the crime, his wife would be arrested for it and dragged from the baby’s hospital bedside because “one of them had to have done it.” They told him the baby was still alive, and that his information would save the child’s life. Another lie — the baby was already dead. They told him they were sure it was an accident, and if he just admitted it, he could go home. Right.
The trial judge found that the confession was not only voluntary, but that defense counsel had no right to put on an expert in police interrogation techniques to speak about the phenomenon of false confessions.
Police fed Thomas information about how they believed the death occurred then prodded him to parrot it back.
Take the case of Matthew Thomas. Police lied to him in a manner so egregious, even John McCain would have cracked. Thomas was accused of killing his four-month-old son. After being interrogated for more than nine hours, he was told that if he didn’t admit to doing the crime, his wife would be arrested for it and dragged from the baby’s hospital bedside because “one of them had to have done it.” They told him the baby was still alive, and that his information would save the child’s life. Another lie — the baby was already dead. They told him they were sure it was an accident, and if he just admitted it, he could go home. Right.
The trial judge found that the confession was not only voluntary, but that defense counsel had no right to put on an expert in police interrogation techniques to speak about the phenomenon of false confessions.
Police fed Thomas information about how they believed the death occurred then prodded him to parrot it back.
I was taught in basic police school this "it's ok to lie to get a confession" -- I never felt comfortable with that, but, yeah - it happens FAR more than you'd ever imagine.
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