False Confessions Expert Says That #SkylarRichardson's Confession was Coerced & Compliant | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Jeff Deskovitch discusses the difference between coerced compliant false confessions and internalized false confessions, and highlights contamination and uncertainty in the confession of Schuyler Richardson.

Key Insights

• 🗂️ False confessions can be divided into coerced compliant and internalized types.
• 📪 Contamination and uncertainty are red flags of a false confession.
• 👮 The police giving answers in their questions is a problematic practice in obtaining confessions.
• 🖐️ Advocates like Jeff Deskovitch play a crucial role in fighting for the wrongfully convicted and raising awareness about false confessions.
• 🧑‍⚕️ Vulnerable populations, such as individuals with mental health issues and youth, are more susceptible to false confessions.
• 🥺 False confessions can lead to wrongful convictions, as demonstrated by DNA exonerations.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Judges often pass false confessions to the jury instead of throwing them out, leaving it up to the jury to determine their truthfulness.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What are the two types of false confessions discussed by Jeff Deskovitch?

According to Deskovitch, there are coerced compliant false confessions and internalized false confessions. Coerced compliant false confessions occur when the suspect knows they are innocent but are coerced into confessing. Internalized false confessions happen when the person being questioned comes to doubt their own innocence.

Q: What are the red flags of a false confession?

Deskovitch mentions two red flags: contamination and uncertainty. Contamination refers to when the police provide the suspect with facts instead of asking open-ended questions. Uncertainty is evident when the person being questioned uses language that suggests they are unsure or hedging their answers.

Q: How many examples of the police giving answers in their questions did Deskovitch find?

Deskovitch found 13 examples of the police giving answers in their questions during Schuyler Richardson's interrogation.

Q: What advice does Deskovitch give to the defense in handling false confession cases?

Deskovitch advises the defense to put their client on the stand to explain why they gave a false confession. He also recommends disproving as many elements of the confession as possible to argue that it is coerced and false.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Jeff Deskovitch, an advocate for the wrongfully convicted, discusses false confessions and social justice.

• He explains the difference between coerced compliant false confessions and internalized false confessions.

• Deskovitch points out contamination and uncertainty in Schuyler Richardson's confession.