Lights, Camera, Confession
Minnesota police are making use of taped interrogations to help prosecute criminals and clear officers of charges of wrongdoing. Minnesota is one of seven states, including New Jersey, Wisconsin, Maine, and New Mexico, that are required to record in-custody interviews.
Steven Drizin, legal director for Northwestern University School of Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions, notes that taped interrogations can make a powerful impact on juries. Juries sometimes witness firsthand inconsistent statements made during the interrogation or unbelievable tales.
Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, an advocate for the technology, has traveled to other states to talk about the benefits of using taped interrogations.
Police can also use the medium to become more skilled interrogators by viewing successful techniques used by other police interrogators.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Saint Paul Pioneer Press (MN) (07/17/06) P. 1A; Prather, Shannon .
