The Purpose, Content, and Effects of Expert Testimony on Interrogations and Confessions

Abstract

The ability of police to question criminal suspects is an indispensable investigative tool. Without the information and admissions gained through the process of interrogation, many guilty criminals would go free. Unfortunately, the powerful psychological techniques used to elicit true confessions from guilty suspects can sometimes elicit false confessions from innocent suspects. Although it is important to give police the tools they need to solve crimes, it is also important to protect the rights of the accused and to reach just outcomes. In this chapter, we argue that the use of expert testimony on interrogation and confessions is one effective means of assisting jurors and judges in their duty to find the truth and reach just verdicts. We review the research literature on police interrogations and false confessions, with an emphasis on the usefulness of this research for providing expert testimony at trial. Because all three of the authors have testified as expert witnesses on confessions, we also offer insights from our experiences in court. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)