Why do some cops feel such an urge to force someone to confess -- is it more important to convict anyone than it is to convict the guy who fucking did it?

My thoughts exactly, it makes zero sense to try and convict when the perpetrator is still out there somewhere. That's hardly justice is it. You'd think these cops got paid on commission per confession. Pathetic

So if it's child abuse, did the cops get punished?

I saw this whole story on tv visiting my grandparents two years ago. It was pretty interesting. And this sort of thing happens a lot more often than you'd think.

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/not_guilty/coerced_confessions/6.html
The family is suing. Crazy thing is that the police got another boy who lived nearby to confess as well, and were charging a total of 3 neighborhood kids, including Michael with the murder.
Those poor families.

>> ^nibiyabi:
Why do some cops feel such an urge to force someone to confess -- is it more important to convict anyone than it is to convict the guy who fucking did it?


Unfortunately, yes. It looks better on the cops to have someone behind bars then a list of suspects. With someone behind bars, the neighbourhood can be at ease, ect. If the killer is still out there, people start to say "Well, why aren't the cops able to find them?" and get ideas of incompitence, which would
give them a worse image then they already have.

This, however, was just a cop on a mission. Like the video said, he went into that room with a pre-concieved notion that the boy had to have done it. That kid shouldn't have been alone in that room, he should have had a lawyer with him, but when you're 14 and being accused of having your sister killed you probably aren't thinking straight. The cop should definately have laid off though, without any firm proof of him being the killer, he should've been able to walk out of that room by saying "I didn't do it"..but again, no lawyer

I hate seeing this. People need to know that this happens, but what can we do?????

Moral outrage notwithstanding, interesting show and great sift. Upward vote I say, upward!!

Confessions in many Asian countries are taken as incontrovertible evidence. They're also easier to get than solid evidence in a lot of cases, as this video attests to; just lie that it'll be easier on them if they confess than if they have to defend themselves.

Japan!... I'm looking at you...

Fuck! This was painful to watch.

*promote

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Thursday, March 13th, 2008 9:01pm PDT - promote requested by nibiyabi.

>> ^nibiyabi:
Why do some cops feel such an urge to force someone to confess -- is it more important to convict anyone than it is to convict the guy who fucking did it?


I'm going to take the worst kind of devils advocate role here, but make no mistake, this affair is a crime, a crime against the poor boy, who's mental state was coerced , but as with so many crimes, I think this one has more than one victim.

The interrogators where themselves victims of mental coercion, namely their own. They had led themselves (probably with the help of some leading clues) into a state of conviction that this boy was guilty, and they acted accordingly. As horrible and painful this situation is, it is interesting on so many levels, the boy giving a false confession is obvious, but it is also interesting how the interrogators minds where coerced into pushing him that far. Of course, in retrospect, it is trivial to note that they should have been more self-critical, but what I'm saying is its not as easy in the heat of the moment.

Any one who takes part in this should be made to serve out the proposed sentence, just short of death.

Death is too easy for corrupt Authority. There is no justice like that of a Righteous fist of an angry blind woman.


I cannot say how angry I become when I see corruption.

One should endeavor every day to see that they do not embody the things they hate so much. Corruption is one of those things.

>> ^nibiyabi:
Why do some cops feel such an urge to force someone to confess -- is it more important to convict anyone than it is to convict the guy who fucking did it?


Absolutely. The system makes far more money and in some states cops get paid more if they can get more arrests and tickets in a months time. On top of that cops are legally allowed a wide variety of crazy tactics to get confessions. From bullying to lying to out-right showing someone fake evidence.

I have friends who have spent 10 or 12 hours in a locked room with nothing to eat being pushed and lied to because they got caught with a half ounce of pot on them. That right there is simply wrong.

I wouldn't even tell a cop the time without my attorney present.

*length=5:02

The duration of this video has been updated from unknown to 5:02 - length declared by oritteropo.

60 Minutes - Interrogated Coerced Confessions has been added as a related post - related requested by oritteropo on that post.