Poor Police Practice
We’re finding more and more false confessions. Most of these are the result of poor police practice.
The confession is the gold standard for criminal convictions. You will find many of those confessions are typewritten by officers who carefully construct the confession to incorporate what the confessor said with his/her admission to all the elements of the crime committed. This is a terrible practice and unintentionally promotes false confessions.
Police practices should require the confessor to write handwritten confessions. The officers can supplement that with additional questions to which the confessor can write responses. However, the confession needs to be in the confessor’s own handwriting. If the confessor cannot handwrite, the officer should record the confession and, with a witness, have the confessor sign an accurate transcription.
There are many reasons for this recommendation:
- The officer’s rendition will include terms the confessor defines differently;
- precise details would have been written differently by the confessor;
- the confession will be much more difficult to challenge;
- the confession is much less likely to be a false confession.
If you find an officer-typed confession in your case, give it a closer look. This is a poor police practice that deserves close inspection.
As investigators our role should be centered on "Getting The Truth."
That is not always easy, but there are clues, both obvious and subtle.
Body language, verbal language, and written language are three sources for discovering many clues.
Joe Koenig, Forensic Linguist, Author, CFE is a Forensic Linguist. He has written and taught extensively on the field of forensic linguistics.
I've known Joe by reputation for about a year, but recently had the opportunity to use his assistance on a case.
Joe was objective, scientific, and professional. His assistance was valuable to our case.
As one investigator put it when I asked him about Joe: "Joe is the man." Yes, he is.
Joe's magic is strong. Well, it's actually science, but, if you don't understand the science, it sure does look like magic. 🔎
Check out Joe's book. And if you are looking for a reliable and reputable Forensic Linguist give him a call. I have seen him pull rabbits out of hats while floating six feet above the ground.
Thanks, Joe.
Yours truly,
M