Innocent Suspects Confess Under Pressure

[tocqueville]

Innocent Suspects Confess Under Pressure LiveScience Staff

LiveScience.com
Tue Jul 26,12:45 PM ET

A new study finds some people under interrogation will confess to crimes they did not commit, either to end the questioning or because they become convinced they did it.

An unrelated study last year found it is fairly easy to create false memories in people in a lab setting.

Lack of sleep and isolation contribute to false confessions, the scientists say in the new study, announced today. A suspect's mental status and lack of education play roles.
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A University of Michigan study last year reached the same conclusion in analyzing 328 cases since 1989 in which DNA exoneration defendants convicted of rape, murder and other serious crimes.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=96&e=3&u=/space/20050726/sc_space/innocentsuspectsconfessunderpressure

[carnie_sf]

1. DUH

[Maple]

2. Heh...I agree

Doesn't take much to figure THAT out!

[Tesha]

3. Does this actually surprise anyone? (NT)

[beam me up scottie]

5. I'm not surprised but

I didn't want to shoot the messenger so I kept quiet.

[arwalden]

4. Do They Feel Trapped?

And do they feel that "confessing" and making a deal for a lesser sentence is the best option (when compared to their belief that they will be convicted and give a death/life-behind-bars sentence?

[greyl]

6. These are important scientific findings.

One practical value is that the argument against the "techniques' used at Gitmo can be made from a pragmatic standpoint - "it doesn't work" - as well as, or even in place of, an ethical standpoint.

Whether someone who says the techniques used at Abu Gahraib are justified using a morally relativistic argument can be swayed by showing them scientific evidence is another story.