Psychologist had dual role in confessions of Beatrice 6 (ALL 6 free on DNA)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10500550

Published Saturday November 29, 2008
Psychologist had dual role in confessions of Beatrice 6
BY PAUL HAMMEL
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN — How could so many people admit in vivid detail to a horrendous crime that they didn't commit?

That was the question after the Central Park 5.

After the Norfolk 4.

And now, the Beatrice 6.

The murder case out of Beatrice, Neb., in which six people were wrongfully convicted in 1989 of the slaying of a 68-year-old woman, is a new national record for the most people exonerated in one case by DNA evidence.

Two national experts who study false confessions said the Beatrice case appears to fit patterns of other cases: The suspects were young people with low-esteem or mental problems who were abusing alcohol or drugs. They were easily influenced, easily confused and worn out by aggressive questioning.

But Saul Kassin, a professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, and Richard Leo, a law professor at the University of San Francisco, said the Beatrice case had an unusual aspect: the role played during interrogations by a police psychologist who previously had served as private therapist to some of those being questioned.

FULL story at link.

[mrcheerful]

1. That and they thought by talking to police without a lawyer they would be able to

talk their way out of jail time. Little do people realize that nothing you say to police will be used for you but everything you say can and will be used against you. One human failing is most people will end up confessing to a crime if they think that their story isn't being believed, often it comes out in conflicting details of the story.

The police will lie and use every mind tactic to get a confession, remember you are not innocent to the police, you are always guilty until proven innocent in a court of law. It's also a double whammy because one thing every parent tells their kids is you can "trust" the police. That plays into any conversation you have with police, most don't even realize that they trust cops until after they had a bad experince with police.

Btw, more then 86% of all convictions are from criminals confessing to the crime. Theres a serious problem in the american justice system as far to many are sent to prison not by good police work but by confessions. Right now we are seeing the tip of the iceberg with DNA, but remember not all crimes have DNA involved.