Ethics of Coerced Confessions: A Police Detective's Dilemma
This paper examines a criminal justice ethical dilemma faced by a police detective whose partner obtained confessions from two fourteen-year-old suspects without following mandatory legal procedures—including notifying parents, videotaping the interview, and reading Miranda rights. Drawing on virtue ethics and utilitarianism, the paper argues that reporting the procedural violations to a supervisor is both the legally and morally correct course of action. The analysis demonstrates why upholding constitutional rights and due process protections serves the greater good of society, even when a conviction might appear to be the expedient outcome.
- Introduction: The Case and Its Complications: Detective faces dilemma after partner's improper interrogation
- Major Ethical and Legal Dilemmas: Procedural violations involving juvenile suspects' rights
- Utilitarianism as a Framework for Decision-Making: Greatest good principle applied to the confession case
- Virtue Ethics and Knowing Right from Wrong: Character-based morality guiding the detective's choice
- Applying Both Frameworks: The Case for Reporting: Both frameworks converge on reporting the violations
- Conclusion: Constitutional duty outweighs convenience of quick conviction
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds an abstract ethical debate in a concrete, realistic scenario, making the philosophical frameworks immediately applicable rather than theoretical.
- It presents two competing utilitarian interpretations—micro and macro—showing genuine analytical nuance rather than treating the framework as one-dimensional.
- The first-person voice reinforces the personal moral weight of the decision and sustains reader engagement throughout the argument.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied ethical reasoning by mapping two distinct philosophical frameworks—utilitarianism and virtue ethics—onto the same real-world dilemma and showing how both converge on the same conclusion. This convergence technique strengthens the argument by demonstrating that the decision to report is not just pragmatically justified but also morally grounded in character and principle.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a narrative framing of the scenario, then enumerates the specific legal and procedural violations before pivoting to philosophical analysis. Each ethical framework is introduced separately and then synthesized in a final section that reaches a unified conclusion. The references are brief but represent each major framework discussed.
Introduction: The Case and Its Complications
As a police detective, I handle the majority of homicide investigations with my partner, Officer X. We are currently investigating the brutal beating, rape, and assault of a woman in our community who is now in a coma. Earlier that evening, officers responded to a complaint that a gang of young men were assaulting residents, and two members of the gang—both 14 years of age—were arrested. My partner interviewed both suspects in separate rooms. We found that they had previous records for robbery and assault. My partner reports that both confessed and considers the case closed. However, the case has reached national prominence due to its circumstances. A conviction would vindicate the police department, but there are serious questions of constitutional rights, departmental policy, and ethics that are troubling me and forcing a difficult ethical decision.
Major Ethical and Legal Dilemmas
Several clear procedural violations occurred during this investigation:
The suspects were 14 years old—minors—and therefore entitled to have parents or guardians present during questioning. This was not done, and no significant effort was made to contact them.
Department policy mandates that interviews be videotaped; this was not done.
It is unclear whether the youths were read their rights, or whether undue coercion, force, or other improper tactics were used to obtain the confessions.
While apparently convinced of the suspects' guilt, my partner crossed the line in an effort to secure a quick conviction.
I believe that, however unpopular this decision might be, it is my legal and ethical responsibility as a law enforcement professional to report my concerns to my supervisor.
References
Deverette, R. (2002). Introduction to Virtue Ethics. Washington, DC: Georgetown.
Sandel, C. (2010). Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Sissler, D. (2001). The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. Retrieved from http://www.davidsisler.com/05-09-2001.htm
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