Police interrogation is one of the most effective ways to obtain confession and eventually, conviction. However, it has a number of shortcomings which result in wrongful sentences that should be lessened. Which is why you need to hire a competitive criminal defense attorney in Las Vegas to represent you.
Here are some reforms that can be applied when handling interrogations for a better and more stable justice system in the state of Nevada:
Revising interrogation tactics
Police officers use a variety of interrogation tactics divided by the concept of minimization and maximization. Techniques that use minimization downplay the magnitude of the case and ensure the interrogated that it is okay to confess as nothing will happen to him or her. However, maximization features interrogators who impose the weight of the crime and declare that there are severe charges waiting in the nonexistence of a confession. These are manners of deception. To produce a more credible interrogation result, the rights of police officers to lie and deceive should be diminished.
Seeking an expert
An expert witness can point out the tendency of false confessions and offer procedures such as matching of confession to the evidence to help the judges and the jury determine a statement’s accuracy. This reform has already made rounds around the justice system, however, jurors currently prohibit the intervention due to certain predispositions.
Recusal Law
The effects of improper interrogation also extends to the court. When a judge refuses to suspend charges even when a false confession has been proven, a recusal law can be used. This is the act of removing or denying participation of a judge or a jury member who denies the truth because of some biases. Applying this law will surely help innocents who shared false confessions out of their will.
The Exclusionary Rule
This rule prevents the presentation to the court of an evidence that was taken while violating a defendant’s right. For such matter, it is considered as false confession. The Exclusionary Rule has long been abandoned for unclear reasons and reinstating the law will make interrogations run properly from the start.
Be on time
Having a reasonable schedule for interrogations might be a better alternative to long hours in which the suspects will just admit to the crime because of exhaustion and confusion. This is also beneficial to police officers as it reflects their desire to bring out justice in an organized and considerate manner.