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A review of the literature unequivocally reveals false confessions are oftentimes deliberately sought after by overzealous criminal justice interrogators who are much more preoccupied with ascertaining a confession -- and an ensuing conviction -- than they are with ascertaining the truth about a particular crime.
Specifically, a review of the literature indicates too many interrogators are single-mindedly focused on extracting confessions in order to gain convictions that they are on actually doing more work to uncover the truth about an alleged crime.
One of the more cogent pieces of literature which demonstrates this fact is "Inside interrogation: The lie, the bluff, and false confessions" by Perillo and Kassin. This research study offers empirical evidence that certain techniques utilized by investigators in interrogation scenarios, have the effect of producing confessions on the part of innocent people. Still, the most convincing facet of this article occurs in the introduction in which it denotes the frequency of false confessions garnered by deliberately deceptive interrogation techniques as occurring as frequently as 25% of the time in which there are "DNA exoneration cases" (Perillo and Kassin, 2010, p. 327) in America. Another highly effective facet of this research article is its explanation of coercive methods utilized to procure false confessions: the bluff tactic. This ploy involves interrogaters introducing false evidence which does not directly implicate the suspect, yet which still plays a considerable factor in engendering false confessions. This theoretical premise is readily substantiated with empirical evidence in the form of a series of quantifiable experiments predicated around the "Kassin and Keichel computer crash paradigm" (Perillo and Kassin, 2010, p. 327). The boons of this approach is that this original research presents empirically validated evidence of the efficacy of the bluff tactic, alongside other coercive means, in getting innocents to falsely confess. However, drawbacks of this research include…
Chojnacki, D.E., Ciccini, M.D. & White, L.T. (2008). An empirical basis for the admission of expert testimony on false confessions. 40 Ariz. St. L.J. 1 (2008). When a false confession has been extracted, the defendant on trial has few recourses. One of their recourses is to convince the jury that the confession was unethically extracted, by calling in expert witnesses in the field of psychology. These expert witnesses can show juries
substances, alcohol and marijuana, which one do you believe can most likely impact the reliability of a statement given by a subject under its influence? Why? Considering the impact of the two substances, alcohol and marijuana, it seems that the reliability of a statement given by a subject under the influence would be most impacted by consumption of alcohol. Alcohol and marijuana are both know to reduce inhibition and judgment.
Forensics, Law, & Psychology: False Confessions It is a well accepted law in the forensic field, that only recently slipped through, that investigations can be helped by compelling people to confess. However this forensic law that encourages and enables forced confession spirals off methodological research in psychology that shows that such confessions can be harmful to the field since many prisoners end off confessing under duress and admitting to actions that
False Identification and Lineup Instructions Biased/Unbiased There are many instances where people have been wrongly accused only because they were falsely identified or either because there was not enough evidence present that would prove them guilty. George Allen Jr. was convicted in 1983 on the charges of capital murder, rape, sodomy and first degree burglary. It has been noted that the reason for his false conviction was false confession, invalid or
Sleep Deprivation and Expert Witnesses Introduction (the issue(s) presented and purpose of your paper) The paper will focus on the links between sleep deprivation, false confessions and torture. The paper is written in the context of Federal Rules of Evidence 702 and the testimony of an expert witness. The focus lies in the fight between experts on each side (defense and prosecution) and how an expert witness can provide clarity regarding a
Why would somebody confess to a crime they did not commit? According to professor Kassin, Saul, there are several types of people who falsely confess: compulsive type-attention seeker -- confesses to gain a piece of the fame, impress others, or to get attention compulsive type-homeless -- confesses as a way to get off the streets compulsive type-fugitive -- confesses to avoid being prosecuted for a crime elsewhere with stiffer penalties compulsive