S09.E08: Police Interrogations

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Main topic: Police interrogations 

Also: Senator Frank Nicely informs the senate that Hitler was homeless; midterm elections and Dr. Oz's run for Senate in Pennsylvania; the profound despair of hollow chocolate bunnies 

Original air date 2022.04.17

[Annber03]

WTAF with that "Hitler was homeless, too, you know..." nonsense from that Tennessee senator? Holy shit, that made my head hurt. 

Of course John would put that prop gator giving the finger out in the reception area for Dr. Oz to see every day XD. I didn't realize he taped in the same building as John, that's hilariously weird.

Seriously, though, Oz, shut the hell up and quit with your faux "I'm just like you working-class stiffs struggling with these money woes" bullshit. Can we stop with this trend of, "Hey, they're on TV, they must know how to be a politician, they should run!" trend already? We already tried that. It didn't go so hot. 

As for the main topic, I watch a lot of true crime shows, so I'm very familiar with all the tricks John talked about here. In fact, I just recently watched the miniseries  "The Thing About Pam", inspired by a real case in which a man named Russ was suspected of murdering his wife Betsy. He was subjected to a very lengthy interrogation the night of the murder. He'd smoked some weed while at a game night with his friends (that was his alibi, that he was at the game night with his friends when his wife was killed, and his friends vouched for him), he was distraught over stumbling upon his wife's body, he was tired and stressed and scared, and yet he was interrogated for hours and hours. He didn't confess, but he did ultimately wind up being convicted of her murder and spent some time in prison. 

Spoiler, for those who've not seen the miniseries or aren't familiar with the case in question:

Spoiler

Turns out it was Betsy's friend, Pam, who'd murdered her. She'd been the last person to see Betsy alive (which should've tipped off the police right away, but this town was clearly being "protected" by the Keystone Cops, so, yeah), she'd wormed her way into being the beneficiary of Betsy's life insurance, and took money from Betsy's daughters' trust fund for herself. What's more, we learned that the prosecutor who convicted Russ, as well as the judge at the first trial, knew each other in high school, and were in cahoots in trying to make the trial go the prosecutor's way, and the prosecutor had withheld evidence from the defense and even tried to request destruction of evidence once she realized her case was falling apart.

Fortunately, Russ was lucky enough to have a defense attorney who actually did his job and fought hard on behalf of his client, and he was able to ultimately prove Russ' innocence, and Pam was eventually convicted, not of Betsy's murder - that case is being reopened - but of another murder she was involved in, and is now in jail. And the prosecutor lost her re-election bid a few years ago, and is currently being scrutinized and her cases are being reviewed. But in the process of fighting to free Russ, two more people connected to Pam wound up dead, including the guy she's in jail for killing, and Russ' life was totally upended as well, and he's had to learn to readjust. And the prosecutor is still convinced he's guilty, despite there being zero evidence pointing to his guilt. So yeah. 

And there's NUMEROUS other examples from true crime shows out there that are as bad as that one, if not worse, in terms of police misconduct and corruption. It's odd to me that people seem so shocked that this happens with people interrogated by police. I mean, did we not just prove with the Iraq War that all the torture and interrogation methods used on suspected terrorists wound up being bunk and didn't actually provide any sort of useful information in the War on Terror, and were illegal? So why do people think those same tactics will work in police interrogations? This is another example of what people mean when they rail against law enforcement in general, and how we should defund/reform the police. I guarantee that even the "good" cops that people keep insisting exist out there engage in these kinds of tactics, too, and they shouldn't be allowed to do so. 

I appreciated John reminding people about that upcoming execution. I really hope something happens to put a stop to that. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Annber03

[scarynikki12]

That clip of the dog eating Dan’s heart is the true legacy of One Tree Hill. Show’s been off the air for years and the clip still shows up on comedy shows.

[Annber03]

Just now, scarynikki12 said:

That clip of the dog eating Dan’s heart is the true legacy of One Tree Hill. Show’s been off the air for years and the clip still shows up on comedy shows.

I remember it being played a lot on "The Soup" back in the day XD. 

[JustHereForFood]

Well, that was depressing. That's all I got, I think. Good that John mentioned that it's specifically shitty for people with mental disabilities, because I was just thinking, how much harder would it be for people on autistic spectrum, with anxiety, or just socially awkward. I mean, I don't even have any diagnosis, but I would be freaked out just by a cop sitting that close to me with me in a corner, like they showed that one suspect. And with the interrogation lasting hours, everyone gets to be tired and their mental capabilities get weaker under best circumstances. It seems that the best solution is to just don't talk at all and ask for a lawyer.

Also, I can't believe that they can use those tactics on minors.

 

On brigther side, why are all of those people complaining about hollow chocolate? You can tell by its weight, it's one of the first things a child learns.

[Lantern7]

I've never felt cheated biting  into a hollow chocolate bunny. I'm thinking there was more talk on Peeps, but the LWT writers were burnt out on those.

Damn, the topic was brutal. I think the show HAD to show Pinkie Pie going aggro to lighten the mood. Doesn't seem fair to get a confession that holds up that is also probably enabled by outright lies and/or long hours.

I never watched One Tree Hill. I think that scene may have inspired Children's Hospital with one gag. Holy shit. The heart popping out of the box would have been enough, but the dog grabbing it? #ChefsKiss

Edited April 18, 2022 by Lantern7

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, Annber03 said:

WTAF with that "Hitler was homeless, too, you know..." nonsense from that Tennessee senator? Holy shit, that made my head hurt. 

I saw that clip earlier in the week. Incredible. I have no idea how anyone would think using Hitler as an example of something positive was a good idea.

Quote

As for the main topic, I watch a lot of true crime shows, so I'm very familiar with all the tricks John talked about here. In fact, I just recently watched the miniseries  "The Thing About Pam", inspired by a real case in which a man named Russ was suspected of murdering his wife Betsy. He was subjected to a very lengthy interrogation the night of the murder. He'd smoked some weed while at a game night with his friends (that was his alibi, that he was at the game night with his friends when his wife was killed, and his friends vouched for him), he was distraught over stumbling upon his wife's body, he was tired and stressed and scared, and yet he was interrogated for hours and hours. He didn't confess, but he did ultimately wind up being convicted of her murder and spent some time in prison. 

I was thinking of that specific example, too. 

 

1 hour ago, Lantern7 said:

I've never felt cheated biting  into a hollow chocolate bunny.

I can't remember, but I may have felt cheated as a child. However, a solid chocolate bunny is a lot to bite thru, so really, a hollow one is a good idea. It's still plenty of chocolate.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

When he talked about how we see intense interrogations on TV, my mind immediately went to Homicide: Life on the Streets and Frank's stroke during the interrogation.  TV shows rely on the trope of someone the veteran cops absolutely know the person is guilty whereas in reality that is not the case.  On The Closer, from which he showed a clip, the other cops are horrified when Brenda, the head of the division, lies to a suspect to get a confession, something she doesn't normally do.  The idea that cops don't lie to coerce confessions needs to disappear along with the whole a cop has to tell you they're a cop if you ask.  Neither is true.

What I did learn is if the dip don't stick it's not a decent crudite platter. And that Dr. Oz does not know how to put together a quality crudite platter. I'll add that to the list of many things Dr. Oz does not know.  I'm off to bite the ears off of a hollow chocolate bunny. 

[RedbirdNelly]

I always found hollow bunnies a bummer as a kid. 

The interrogation thing is so true. Almost any book you find about someone getting wrongly convicted involves harsh interrogations where someone gets badgered to confess. This show reminded me to chat with my boys--ask for a lawyer, keep asking for one and remember police can lie to you about the evidence. Anyone short on sleep, overwhelmed by the situation and getting lied to about the evidence could find themselves confessing.

[xaxat]

24 minutes ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

When he talked about how we see intense interrogations on TV, my mind immediately went to Homicide: Life on the Streets and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHm1sXLaOgc.  TV shows rely on the trope of someone the veteran cops absolutely know the person is guilty whereas in reality that is not the case.  On The Closer, from which he showed a clip, the other cops are horrified when Brenda, the head of the division, lies to a suspect to get a confession, something she doesn't normally do.  The idea that cops don't lie to coerce confessions needs to disappear along with the whole a cop has to tell you they're a cop if you ask.  Neither is true.

The Wire had it right.

 

[ahisma]

The music behind the hollow bunny segment absolutely made it. So good!

I listen to a lot of podcasts featuring guests from the FBI. They talk about how they are trained in establishing rapport with suspects and developing a relationship to get the truth, and it really works. It’s usually contrasted more against the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” techniques (FBI has an excellent record dealing with terrorists vs. the CIA’s pile of false information), but I can see it’s very apropos vs. local police, too.

[paigow]

 

[Victor the Crab]

4 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

I've never felt cheated biting  into a hollow chocolate bunny. I'm thinking there was more talk on Peeps, but the LWT writers were burnt out on those.

Plus, the angry voice guy was broken over the pumpkin spiced seltzer. As far as hollow chocolate Easter bunnies are concerned, as a child, I didn't give a fuck if it was hollow or whole. IT'S A MOTHERFUCKING MILK CHOCOLATE BUNNY! ERGO, IT'S NOM-NOM TIME!!!

When Ollie brought up the Pennsylvania primaries for Senate, I thought he was going to talk about the Democratic one between Conor Lamb and John Fetterman. But yeah, Dr. Oz? No thank you! Sadly, his Republican challenger isn't any better!

And with police interrogations, my mind immediately went to that woman who was coerced into lying that she killed her infant, when she clearly didn't, and is awaiting execution later this month. Why hasn't there been enough talk about this obviously outrageous case of corruption? It's frightening to think that police interrogators can force innocent people to confess to crimes they didn't commit. It could be you or me! Another example of why we need massive police reforms!

It would have been interesting had Ollie brought up the revelation this past week that Jared Kushner personally profited $2 billion dollars from the Saudi government. It would have tied in nicely with the show's opening credits tribute to Gilbert Gottfried.

[Annber03]

8 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

Good that John mentioned that it's specifically shitty for people with mental disabilities, because I was just thinking, how much harder would it be for people on autistic spectrum, with anxiety, or just socially awkward. 

Right? I'm a shy, quiet person who can sometimes have a hard time looking at people directly. So I'd be totally screwed in a situation like that. Some people definitely give off shifty vibes, yes, but usually there's other tells with those people beyond their body language that can tell somebody that something's up with them. The body language alone can't be, or shouldn't be, enough of a reason to suspect them. 

Quote

Also, I can't believe that they can use those tactics on minors.

I'm always horrified and nervous whenever I watch a true crime show where a minor is being interrogated without their parents present. I think some laws have changed in that regard to ensure the parents are there, but yeah, everyone who is under the age of eighteen who's brought in to talk to the police should automatically have their parent in tow. And they should know that they have the right to request their parent come with them, if their parent is not right there at the time they're asked to come in. 

Quote

On brigther side, why are all of those people complaining about hollow chocolate? You can tell by its weight, it's one of the first things a child learns.

My main takeaway from that segment was, wow, local newspeople have a lot of free time to talk about the most random things :p. 

I've never had a problem with hollow chocolate bunnies, either. I don't need them filled up with a bunch of stuff (I've never been a fan of chocolates filled with marshmallow, which is weird, 'cause I like marshmallows and chocolate separately, and I like s'mores. Go figure), I just want the chocolate. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Annber03

[JustHereForFood]

2 hours ago, Victor the Crab said:

And with police interrogations, my mind immediately went to that woman who was coerced into lying that she killed her infant, when she clearly didn't, and is awaiting execution later this month. Why hasn't there been enough talk about this obviously outrageous case of corruption? It's frightening to think that police interrogators can force innocent people to confess to crimes they didn't commit. It could be you or me! Another example of why we need massive police reforms!

Jesus Christ!

[buttersister]

At the risk of being repetitious, marry me, John.

[DoctorAtomic]

3 hours ago, Annber03 said:

My main takeaway from that segment was, wow, local newspeople have a lot of free time to talk about the most random things :p. 

My local channel has a lot of talk at the end for the 5 pm broadcast because they don't do a sports segment; taped segments can run short. But they leave out the weather guy with the main anchor and talking about the weather and whether you can garden or go walk your dog is an easy filler. 

[Hanahope]

and another bad thing about bad police interrogations that get innocent people convicted?  the actual criminal goes free!  to commit more crimes! against more victims!  the police are so concerned with their "conviction rate" they don't seem to really care that actual criminals are going free to commit more crimes when they pull this crap!

Elie Mystal talks a lot about how bad coerced confessions are in his new book (which is excellent and provides such a different point of view from us white people).  John didn't really touch about how much they are used against people of color, who many times are actually afraid for their lives with the police.  the Exonerated Five John briefly mentioned didn't note that not a single one of them actually "confessed" to the crime of rape, but only to "being in the area" and maybe doing "something to help" the actual criminal, which details were all completely different from the actual crime itself.  and it was only when the actual rapist confessed to doing the whole thing himself, did the Exonerated Five become exonerated, and yet some people still believe they were involved.  

Elie Mystal is completely right that all confessions should just be eliminated.  If you have someone who truly wants to "confess" to the crime, just get them to plead guilty.  it has the same effect.

 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I appreciated John reminding people about that upcoming execution. I really hope something happens to put a stop to that. 

Isn't that set in Texas? Unfortunately, fat chance.

Anyone who has watched as much Dateline as I have already knows how horribly crooked a lot of interrogators can be. If it comes as a shock to anyone they simply aren't watching enough true crime shows! There's one rather well-known case where someone was wrongly convicted because a witness was told the perp was cutting a deal with the cops to testify against him for the murder. 

That skit at the end was priceless though. "A murderer says what?" "What?" "THAT COUNTS!"

[lasu]

Another excellent example of false confession is the West Memphis Three, that John mentioned in his wrongful convictions episode. From wikipedia regarding the confession: 

Quote

On June 3, the police interrogated Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Despite his reported IQ of 72 (categorizing him as borderline intellectual functioning) and his status as a minor, Miskelley was questioned alone; his parents were not present during the interrogation.[3][9] Misskelley's father gave permission for Misskelley to go with police but did not explicitly give permission for his son to be questioned or interrogated.[9] Misskelley was questioned for roughly 12 hours. Only two segments, totaling 46 minutes, were recorded.[23] Misskelley quickly recanted his confession, citing intimidation, coercion, fatigue, and veiled threats from police.[3][9] Misskelley specifically said he was "scared of the police" during this confession.[24]

17 years old, no parents or lawyer present, low IQ, 12 hour investigation, immediately recanted.  What. The. Fuck.

Jessie Misskelley not only recanted but refused a deal involving testifying against Echols and Baldwin.  Yet all three were found guilty, life in prison for Misskelley and Baldwin, death for Echols.  They have finally been released (they are so lucky they got major national attention with documentaries and celebrities like Pearl Jam and Henry Rollins, and I even originally heard about the case from a freakin' Dawson's Creek episode), but only after entering an Alford Plea, which is saying "I'm going to say I'm guilty, but we all know I'm not guilty, you assholes."  Baldwin didn't even want to do that, and only ended up doing it because Echols was out of appeals on his death sentence.  Baldwin said that if he didn't lie, take the plea, and say he was guilty of murder, then when Echols was put to death, Baldwin would become what they said he was - a murderer.  He said if it hadn't been for that, he would have stayed in prison rather than say he did something he didn't (all three had to agree to the Alford plea).

And this is just one story out of how many?  And how much did the fact that everyone involved in the WM3 case is white help make it a national story?  It's really scary how easy it is for shit to go sideways.  One thing I have learned and have heard over and over and over again - LAWYER UP IMMEDIATELY.  I'm at the point if the police came to my door to ask if I'd seen a missing child in the neighborhood, I would ask for a lawyer before I would answer the question.

It's so sad how when I was a child I saw the police as someone to go to for help (which I'm sure is at least in part b/c I'm white), but now I see the police as someone to mistrust and only reach out to in the most extreme of situations.

[Fable]

This is disturbing.  I used to watch a lot of true crime shows, and I've decided I will never talk to the police without a lawyer, under any circumstances.  

[heatherchandler]

On 4/18/2022 at 1:40 PM, Victor the Crab said:

 

And with police interrogations, my mind immediately went to that woman who was coerced into lying that she killed her infant, when she clearly didn't, and is awaiting execution later this month. Why hasn't there been enough talk about this obviously outrageous case of corruption? It's frightening to think that police interrogators can force innocent people to confess to crimes they didn't commit. It could be you or me! Another example of why we need massive police reforms!

 

Melissa Lucio?  I don't know if she killed her daughter, she may have been coerced into a confession, but you may want to review the case file https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2011/21496.html  It is truly a horrific read.

I don't believe in the death penalty but she should be in prison for life.

There were bruises in various stages of healing covering her body, there were bite marks on her back, (2) one of her arms had been broken probably about two to seven weeks before her death, and she was missing portions of her hair where it had been pulled out by the roots. The emergency room physician (Vargas) testified that this was the "absolute worst" case of child abuse that he had seen in his 30 years of practice. Vargas also testified that his emergency-room visual and manual inspection of Mariah indicated no apparent signs of a head injury.

...

Appellant also described how she pinched Mariah's vagina and how she would sometimes grab and squeeze Mariah's arm. Appellant described how she bit Mariah twice on the back at different times about two weeks before Mariah's death. Appellant said that on one occasion she bit Mariah on the back for no reason while she was combing Mariah's hair. Appellant said, "I just did it." Appellant also stated that she would "spank" Mariah several times "day after day."

There is a lot more to this story.  

I know that people falsely confess, I have a family friend who was convicted after falsely confessing to the murder of his daughter.  He is out now, but I know it does happen.  

Edited April 19, 2022 by heatherchandler

[Shermie]

On 4/18/2022 at 8:32 AM, JustHereForFood said:

Also, I can't believe that they can use those tactics on minors.

Without an adult present. A great example is the TV movie “The Interrogation of Michael Crowe”, a true story of a 14-year-old boy who confessed to killing his sister (after the type of coercion John Oliver talked about). The boy was innocent, and the movie shows very accurately how and why someone would confess to something they didn’t do. Lesson - Don’t talk unless you have a lawyer.

The hollow chocolate bunny bit was funny, but honestly, who could eat a 12” solid chocolate one? Way too much chocolate and difficult to bite into.

As for “Dr.” Oz? Ugh, no. But I think many Americans are starry-eyed by celebrities and are too dumb to know that being a celebrity does not mean they are experts at anything or even smart. And come on, “Dr.” Oz, a crudite platter with asparagus, carrots and broccoli dipped in salsa? What the ever-loving fuck is that? And if you want affordable salsa, don’t go for the expensive deli salsa when the grocery aisle has lots of perfectly tasty jarred salsas. Clearly, “Dr.” Oz has never actually been in a grocery store to buy actual groceries. 

[Annber03]

11 minutes ago, Shermie said:

Clearly, “Dr.” Oz has never actually been in a grocery store to buy actual groceries. 

My favorite part of that segment was when John pointed out that Oz didn't even get the name of the store right. It made me think of when my sister once worked at Office Depot and she'd hear customers talking on the phone and being like, "Yeah, I'm at Home Depot", and my sister would just be thinking, "...no, you're not." 

And then there were the moments when I was working at a bookstore and would have customers getting ready to write out a check to pay for their books, and they'd look at me and go, "What's the name of this store again?" And they'd ask this despite the fact they have a bag right next to them, with their items inside, that has the store name on it. There were also a bunch of signs hanging up throughout the store listing the store's name, and a sign right in front of the counter that tells the name of the store in big letters, and there were bookmarks on the counter with the store's name, and so on. 

Yeah. 

Edited April 20, 2022 by Annber03

[PrincessPurrsALot]

25 minutes ago, Shermie said:

As for “Dr.” Oz? Ugh, no. But I think many Americans are starry-eyed by celebrities and are too dumb to know that being a celebrity does not mean they are experts at anything or even smart. And come on, “Dr.” Oz, a crudite platter with asparagus, carrots and broccoli dipped in salsa? What the ever-loving fuck is that? And if you want affordable salsa, don’t go for the expensive deli salsa when the grocery aisle has lots of perfectly tasty jarred salsas. Clearly, “Dr.” Oz has never actually been in a grocery store to buy actual groceries. 

[Shermie]

10 hours ago, Annber03 said:

And then there were the moments when I was working at a bookstore and would have customers getting ready to write out a check to pay for their books, and they'd look at me and go, "What's the name of this store again?"

That’s your opportunity to give your name as the name of the store. Or just offer to fill in the store name for them. **wink**

Just kidding, I’m not advocating stealing from your employer, but stupid people need to pay, dammit!

[One Imaginary Girl]

I was turned off by that sketch at the end of the show.  It seemed jarring to go on--correctly--about how bad interrogations can be and then turn around and make them into a joke.  

[heatherchandler]

11 hours ago, Shermie said:

 

As for “Dr.” Oz? Ugh, no. But I think many Americans are starry-eyed by celebrities and are too dumb to know that being a celebrity does not mean they are experts at anything or even smart. And come on, “Dr.” Oz, a crudite platter with asparagus, carrots and broccoli dipped in salsa? What the ever-loving fuck is that? And if you want affordable salsa, don’t go for the expensive deli salsa when the grocery aisle has lots of perfectly tasty jarred salsas. Clearly, “Dr.” Oz has never actually been in a grocery store to buy actual groceries. 

And he also "bought" that disgusting guacamole in a package.  If you want guac, make it fresh.  I know some of the packaged guacs have a decent flavor but none compare to fresh.  And it's easy to make.

[rlc]

If you have the time (and want to be even more frustrated about Dr. Oz) give this a listen:

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eadf41ac-b166-4508-b2e8-ae21b454eff8/episodes/9958ac6a-3b38-4f59-bff0-7b151ce03016/maintenance-phase-dr-oz

 

 

[Annber03]

8 hours ago, Shermie said:

That’s your opportunity to give your name as the name of the store. Or just offer to fill in the store name for them. **wink**

Just kidding, I’m not advocating stealing from your employer, but stupid people need to pay, dammit!

LOL, there's an idea...

Seriously, though, one would think people who are in a bookstore would take a moment to, I dunno, read :p? 

[xaxat]

Melissa Lucio gets stay of execution so court can consider new evidence

[andromeda331]

12 hours ago, xaxat said:

Melissa Lucio gets stay of execution so court can consider new evidence

Oh, that's wonderful!

[paigow]

On 4/25/2022 at 2:42 PM, xaxat said:

Melissa Lucio gets stay of execution so court can consider new evidence

The court’s decision follows campaigning from celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and John Oliver, most of Lucio’s children, religious leaders and a bipartisan group of more than 100 members of the Texas legislature

Never thought I would see these 2 names on the same side of an issue / cause....

[Victor the Crab]

8 hours ago, paigow said:

The court’s decision follows campaigning from celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and John Oliver, most of Lucio’s children, religious leaders and a bipartisan group of more than 100 members of the Texas legislature

Never thought I would see these 2 names on the same side of an issue / cause....

And you just know he's going to bring that up on his next show!

[lasu]

On 4/26/2022 at 3:52 PM, paigow said:

most of Lucio’s children

Most of Lucio's children...oof.  It's got to be a sad situation when your kids don't want to fight for you - I'm not saying they don't have their own reasons for feeling they way they feel, I don't know their stories.  But it's just sad, no matter how you look at it.

[heatherchandler]

1 hour ago, lasu said:

Most of Lucio's children...oof.  It's got to be a sad situation when your kids don't want to fight for you - I'm not saying they don't have their own reasons for feeling they way they feel, I don't know their stories.  But it's just sad, no matter how you look at it.

Many of them have come out and said that they were forced to lie about the abuse.  They also said that they were said to be living with her when they weren't.  And yeah anytime a case gets another look, that is good, and I am against the death penalty full stop..  but after reading what I read and posted, I think she deserves to be in prison.

[Victor the Crab]

A mother got her death sentence, for a crime she didn't commit because she was strongarmed by her interrogators to confess, postponed and looked into getting overturned for the outrageous way she was prosecuted.

That is the ONLY thing that matters!

[lasu]

2 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

Many of them have come out and said that they were forced to lie about the abuse.  They also said that they were said to be living with her when they weren't.  And yeah anytime a case gets another look, that is good, and I am against the death penalty full stop..  but after reading what I read and posted, I think she deserves to be in prison.

To be clear, I'm not coming down on her children, regardless of what stance they took.  I'm glad she's not be executed, as I would be glad anyone wasn't being executed, but that's my whole opinion on the matter.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 4/18/2022 at 12:41 PM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

When he talked about how we see intense interrogations on TV, my mind immediately went to Homicide: Life on the Streets and Frank's stroke during the interrogation. 

My first thought was the book that show was based on. I read it probably 15 years ago but I still remember a section about how if you end up in an interrogation room, the cops aren't your friends, if they say something is for your benefit (like how it's better to just tell the truth) it probably isn't. And if your request for a lawyer is at all wishy washy they can talk you out of it. Like if you say that maybe you need a lawyer they can say that will make you look guilty or if you ask them if they think you need a lawyer they can say no.

[andromeda331]

On 5/4/2022 at 9:24 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

My first thought was the book that show was based on. I read it probably 15 years ago but I still remember a section about how if you end up in an interrogation room, the cops aren't your friends, if they say something is for your benefit (like how it's better to just tell the truth) it probably isn't. And if your request for a lawyer is at all wishy washy they can talk you out of it. Like if you say that maybe you need a lawyer they can say that will make you look guilty or if you ask them if they think you need a lawyer they can say no.

Exactly. Their job is to get you to confess. To make a statement. Even if they are being nice and friendly they are doing that to get you comfortable, to lower your guard.