What are the Common Tactics Police Use to Extract a Confession

Police officers make use of various tactics to extract confessions from those who are charged with committing a crime/s. If a police officer is about to question you, it is important to be aware of what to expect as well as protect your rights and you will need a Fort Lauderdale, FL criminal defense lawyer at some point, before the interrogation even begins.

If the police want to question you concerning a crime, you should remember two important things: one, police interrogations are meant to obtain confessions. Two, don’t make a statement to the police without talking to a lawyer first. This is because the police employ a number of different tactics in order to extract a confession. The more important of them are given below:

The Reid Technique

When the police suspect you of any crime, they make use of the Reid interrogation technique. You are interrogated at your local precinct in a dingy room with one policeman acting as a “good cop” and another one as “bad cop”, much like in the movies and incredible shows like The Shield and The Wire. In such a situation you are given coffee and asked various questions. Interrogation usually ends in a confession. This technique is highly effective in producing confessions, and has been used for over five decades.

The Reid technique involves three basic concepts and South Florida criminal defense attorneys know them quite well. These are meant to make the suspect believe that a confession is in his or her best interests, whether the suspect is guilty or not. They are…

You may want to prove the cops wrong and refute everything they say. But remember, they are being paid while playing this game, you are not. It is not a good use of your time. Hiring a South Florida criminal defense lawyer is the smart way to go. This is where Michael D. Leader (http://criminallawleader.com/) steps into the picture. He know police tactics and he knows the law. If you want the police to back off and you need them too, request to speak to a lawyer. This is not Cuba, you have this right!

Isolation

By isolating a suspect from friends and family, interrogators hope that the suspect will feel alone. This is further augmented by conducting the interrogation in a windowless room.

Maximization

The officer begins by declaring that he knows the suspect is guilty, and the suspect knows it too. The officer refutes or ignores all claims of innocence made by the suspect. This in effect is the “bad cop” part of the questioning. The interrogator makes the suspect feel that he/she is lying, and is only wasting everyone’s time by claiming to be innocent.

This is a psychological ploy that you have seen in Breaking Bad where they were just trying to wear down Jesse Pinkman. Pinkman was not the smartest person around but he had Walter White who was both of their lawyers. Saul Goodman came through and was able to stop the interrogation. This is what a Fort Lauderdale, FL criminal defense lawyer can do for you and Michael D. Leader is one of the best.

Minimization

After this, the officer becomes the “good cop”. The officer informs the suspect that he understands why the accused did it, and will feel much better after a confession. If the accused confesses, a series of so-called positives will follow, such as a lesser charge or even being allowed to return home. Otherwise, the suspect will be in jail longer while the police hope the suspect just confesses so they can all come to terms. Legal professionals reiterate that you ought to say nothing except for a request to have a right to counsel.  

Informal Questioning

Informal questioning is also a part of the interrogation process. If a police officer stops you without your knowing why, you must presume that he/she suspects you of having committed some crime, and is making an attempt to make you to confess to that crime, so you must act accordingly. Ask the officer if you are free to leave and if you are, you can leave. If you are not, tell the officer that you don’t want to reply to any questions, before speaking to a lawyer.

Don’t believe the urban myth that a police officer never lies. They might claim that certain proof does exist against you or that a co-defendant has already confessed. An officer has no right to make threats or promises to you. The best way to protect yourself against such tactics by the police is to say nothing and to hire legal help immediately.