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ay f - ABCNEWS.com : Why Would a Mant Confess? ® Page 4 of 4 fee ‘ 3 it aoe * x oan) Tape the Interrogations Many critics of police interrogation techniques advocate the videotaping of suspect interviews from beginning to end. Many law enforcement agencies tape confessions, but usually only at the end of the interrogation. Only two states, Alaska and Minnesota, require videotaping of interviews, and some local jurisdictions do so voluntarily. Some police and prosecutors’ groups say videotaping interrogations would be costly, especially for small police forces. Sometimes, taping interviews can be impractical, too, especially when police are doing interviews out in the field, said Chuck Canterbury, vice president of the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. "{t's like calling for mandated DNA evidence," said Canterbury, a 22-year veteran of the Horry County, S.C., police department. "It sounds wonderful, but there's not DNA evidence in every case." Until juries can watch interrogations from beginning to end, though, they may never understand how an innocent person can admit to a crime they did not commit, videotaping advocates say. "Asking a jury to judge the credibility of a confession without seeing the interrogation is like a medical examiner conducting an autopsy without a body," Kassin said. Taping interrogations can also protect police from false accusations of abuse and coercion, Ryan said. "Courts have already ruled police can lie, as long as | am not using any force on the suspect it's OK," he said. Although he opposes mandated interrogation taping, Canterbury said most police work would stand up in the eyes of a jury, even when deception is used to get a confession. "Deception by law enforcement is a recognized technique and has been upheld by the Supreme Court," he said. "I think the American public is smart enough to understand that." &) PRINT THIS PAGE | J SENDTHISTOAFRIEND | 87 VIEW MOST EMAILED Copyright © 2002 ABCNEWS Internet Ventures. Click here for: HELP ADVERTISER INFO CONTACTABC TOOLS PR TERMS OF USE PRIVA Family of sites: © ABC.com ABC Family ESPN.com Disney.com FamilyFun.com GO Me file://G:\falseconfessions020925.html 9/25/02