DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
Police interrogation is designed to extract a confession from a suspect. Officers have several tactics they use to draw out a confession even if the accused is innocent. They can even legally lie to suspects in various ways to get them to falsely admit to committing a crime.
You’re probably thinking that there is no way that a police officer could get you to confess to a crime you didn’t commit. But certain tactics are grueling and are known to break down even the toughest people.
10 They Lie About Having Physical Evidence
It is legal for the police to lie to suspects to get a confession from them. One of the things that police officers and detectives can legally be untruthful about is physical evidence. They may tell the accused that they have that person’s fingerprints or DNA, but it normally requires quite a bit of time to get those types of tests back from labs.
In the case of Oregon v. Mathiason (1977), the defendant had voluntarily come to the police station and was told that he was not under arrest. Police lied to the defendant and said that his fingerprints had been found at the scene. This led to the defendant’s false confession of taking property.[1]
The police are generally allowed to lie about physical evidence and use deception as long as their methods are not proven to be coercive.
9 Fake Test Results
Investigators can tell suspects that they failed a lie detector test even if that is not true. An investigator can dress up as a civilian polygraph expert and use a fake machine with fake results to persuade the accused to give a confession.
The police did this to Darious Mays in the People v. Mays (2009) case. After failing a fake polygraph test, the police told Mays that they knew he was lying. Mays admitted to being present at the scene, and the court ruled that his confession was admissible.[2]
The police can also perform fake chemical and other tests. In the case of People v. Smith (2007), police conducted a “Neutron Proton Negligence Intelligence Test” to see if Smith had fired a gun. But no such test exists.
In the first step of the fake test, they sprayed Smith’s hands with soap and patted them with a paper towel. Then they used a field test kit for testing substances believed to be cocaine. Investigators knew that the test would turn colors, and they told the defendant that it proved he had recently fired a weapon.
8 Tell You That You’re Not Being Interrogated
Police are required to read you the Miranda warning if you are being detained, but they don’t always arrest you to begin with. The officers will sometimes wait to detain a suspect until the person incriminates himself.
The police may start the interview with phrases such as “You’re not under arrest,” “You’re free to go at anytime,” or “This is just a friendly conversation.” If you are innocent, you may feel comfortable talking to the police at this time knowing that you aren’t in trouble.
The best way to protect yourself is to never make a statement without a lawyer present. It is estimated that roughly 80 percent of people waive their Miranda rights to avoid looking suspicious.[3]
Many suspects believe that they can talk themselves out of a situation, but this is exactly what the police want. Once you start talking, their tactics have begun working on you.
7 The Reid Technique
One of the most common interrogation methods is the Reid technique. You see this in movies with a “good cop” and a “bad cop.” First, they isolate the suspect from friends and family so that the person will feel alone. The “bad cop” starts by stating that the accused is guilty and presents a theory for the crime. The officer ignores all claims of innocence.
The “good cop” then enters the picture and tells the suspect that he understands the reason for committing the crime. The “good cop” tries to convince the accused that good things will happen after confessing, such as a lesser charge or maybe even being set free.
The Reid technique led to a false confession from 16-year-old Nga Truong for the death of her 13-month-old son. Truong was questioned in a small, isolated, windowless room. Then the cops claimed that they knew the truth behind her son’s death.
As the last step, they minimized the crime. They told her that she should confess so that she could get help for what she had done. They also said they understood why she had committed the murder—because she was frustrated with taking care of her siblings. Truong falsely confessed to the murder.[4]
The Reid technique is a psychological attack on suspects and is questioned as a method of interrogation by some legal scholars. They believe that the Reid technique leads to too many false confessions as well as public distrust of the police.
6 Say That Refusal To Cooperate Will Damage Your Case
Obstructing a police investigation will lead to the DA being much tougher on you. Anyone who does so can be criminally charged. Refusing to answer the investigator’s question is not obstruction of justice, though, even if the police try to make you believe that. The officers will try to imply that a refusal to cooperate will damage a suspect’s case.
Police want suspects to believe that officers can help the accused to receive a lighter sentence if that person cooperates. This is another lie told by police because they have nothing to do with sentencing.[5]
The district attorney is in charge of the case and is the only person who offers leniency. Being open with police is not helpful because anything a suspect says will be used against him in court.
You’re probably thinking that there is no way that a police officer could get you to confess to a crime you didn’t commit. But certain tactics are grueling and are known to break down even the toughest people.
10 They Lie About Having Physical Evidence
It is legal for the police to lie to suspects to get a confession from them. One of the things that police officers and detectives can legally be untruthful about is physical evidence. They may tell the accused that they have that person’s fingerprints or DNA, but it normally requires quite a bit of time to get those types of tests back from labs.
In the case of Oregon v. Mathiason (1977), the defendant had voluntarily come to the police station and was told that he was not under arrest. Police lied to the defendant and said that his fingerprints had been found at the scene. This led to the defendant’s false confession of taking property.[1]
The police are generally allowed to lie about physical evidence and use deception as long as their methods are not proven to be coercive.
9 Fake Test Results
Investigators can tell suspects that they failed a lie detector test even if that is not true. An investigator can dress up as a civilian polygraph expert and use a fake machine with fake results to persuade the accused to give a confession.
The police did this to Darious Mays in the People v. Mays (2009) case. After failing a fake polygraph test, the police told Mays that they knew he was lying. Mays admitted to being present at the scene, and the court ruled that his confession was admissible.[2]
The police can also perform fake chemical and other tests. In the case of People v. Smith (2007), police conducted a “Neutron Proton Negligence Intelligence Test” to see if Smith had fired a gun. But no such test exists.
In the first step of the fake test, they sprayed Smith’s hands with soap and patted them with a paper towel. Then they used a field test kit for testing substances believed to be cocaine. Investigators knew that the test would turn colors, and they told the defendant that it proved he had recently fired a weapon.
8 Tell You That You’re Not Being Interrogated
Police are required to read you the Miranda warning if you are being detained, but they don’t always arrest you to begin with. The officers will sometimes wait to detain a suspect until the person incriminates himself.
The police may start the interview with phrases such as “You’re not under arrest,” “You’re free to go at anytime,” or “This is just a friendly conversation.” If you are innocent, you may feel comfortable talking to the police at this time knowing that you aren’t in trouble.
The best way to protect yourself is to never make a statement without a lawyer present. It is estimated that roughly 80 percent of people waive their Miranda rights to avoid looking suspicious.[3]
Many suspects believe that they can talk themselves out of a situation, but this is exactly what the police want. Once you start talking, their tactics have begun working on you.
7 The Reid Technique
One of the most common interrogation methods is the Reid technique. You see this in movies with a “good cop” and a “bad cop.” First, they isolate the suspect from friends and family so that the person will feel alone. The “bad cop” starts by stating that the accused is guilty and presents a theory for the crime. The officer ignores all claims of innocence.
The “good cop” then enters the picture and tells the suspect that he understands the reason for committing the crime. The “good cop” tries to convince the accused that good things will happen after confessing, such as a lesser charge or maybe even being set free.
The Reid technique led to a false confession from 16-year-old Nga Truong for the death of her 13-month-old son. Truong was questioned in a small, isolated, windowless room. Then the cops claimed that they knew the truth behind her son’s death.
As the last step, they minimized the crime. They told her that she should confess so that she could get help for what she had done. They also said they understood why she had committed the murder—because she was frustrated with taking care of her siblings. Truong falsely confessed to the murder.[4]
The Reid technique is a psychological attack on suspects and is questioned as a method of interrogation by some legal scholars. They believe that the Reid technique leads to too many false confessions as well as public distrust of the police.
6 Say That Refusal To Cooperate Will Damage Your Case
Obstructing a police investigation will lead to the DA being much tougher on you. Anyone who does so can be criminally charged. Refusing to answer the investigator’s question is not obstruction of justice, though, even if the police try to make you believe that. The officers will try to imply that a refusal to cooperate will damage a suspect’s case.
Police want suspects to believe that officers can help the accused to receive a lighter sentence if that person cooperates. This is another lie told by police because they have nothing to do with sentencing.[5]
The district attorney is in charge of the case and is the only person who offers leniency. Being open with police is not helpful because anything a suspect says will be used against him in court.