Jim Trainum at the Los Angeles Times writes:
The case for videotaping interrogations
A suspect's false confession to a murder opened an officer's eyes.
I've been a police officer for 25 years, and I never understood why someone would admit to a crime he or she didn't commit. Until I secured a false confession in a murder case. ...
I've learned that this is a nationwide problem. Of the 220 wrongful convictions in the U.S. that have been overturned based on DNA evidence, nearly 25% involved a false confession or false incriminating statements, according to the Innocence Project. In each of those cases, DNA proved that the confession was false.
Threats and coercion sometimes lead innocent people to confess, but even the calmest, most standardized interrogations can lead to a false confession or admission. Those who are mentally ill or mentally disabled may be particularly vulnerable, but anyone can be dazed when confronted by police officers who claim to hold unshakable evidence of one's guilt. Some confess to crimes because they want to please authority figures or to protect another person. Some actually come to believe they are guilty, or confess to do penance for some unrelated bad behavior. Innocent people come to believe that they will receive a harsher sentence -- even the death penalty -- if they don't confess.
Videotaping interrogations is proved to decrease wrongful convictions based on false confessions. When the entire interrogation is recorded, attorneys, judges and juries can see exactly what led to a confession.
Getting interrogations videotaped was one of Barack Obama's projects when he was a "mere" Illinois state senator. His state was the first to do so. How anybody can think this is a bad idea is hard to understand, but many did. Thanks to Obama's cajoling skills, it became the law. Every state ought to follow suit.
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The Overnight News Digest is posted and includes the story: Worst Forms of Pollution Killing Millions.
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Tonight's poll is the fourth time I've asked the same question. Previous polls in the series were on September 4, September 19 and October 3. They can be found here, hereand here.
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Check out NYPopulist's Diary on a sad anniversary: Today We Lost A Hero & Champion, Paul Wellstone.