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Guilty" until proven innocent

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Date Issued:
2012
Summary:
In 1956 Darrel Parker was convicted of murdering his wife, with no evidence of his guilt except his own confession. Like Parker, some individuals confess to crimes which they did not commit. These confessions are generally made with a lawyer present when police us deception or coercion. While deception is constitutional, and a permitted police tactic, coercion is not. THis paper distinguished between the two and provides a philosophical framework for determining when deception becomes coercive. While non-coercive deception can lead to false confessions, I do not argue that deception should be banned, as it is a useful tool for police in catching criminals. Instead, I argue that police may deceive suspects, but prosecutors and judges should provide a check by using a three-pronged test to ensure that individuals are not convicted of crimes they did not commit.
Title: " Guilty" until proven innocent: interrogation and false confessions.
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Name(s): Wailes, Meridith
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Thesis
Issuance: multipart monograph
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
electronic resource
Extent: v, 99 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: In 1956 Darrel Parker was convicted of murdering his wife, with no evidence of his guilt except his own confession. Like Parker, some individuals confess to crimes which they did not commit. These confessions are generally made with a lawyer present when police us deception or coercion. While deception is constitutional, and a permitted police tactic, coercion is not. THis paper distinguished between the two and provides a philosophical framework for determining when deception becomes coercive. While non-coercive deception can lead to false confessions, I do not argue that deception should be banned, as it is a useful tool for police in catching criminals. Instead, I argue that police may deceive suspects, but prosecutors and judges should provide a check by using a three-pronged test to ensure that individuals are not convicted of crimes they did not commit.
Identifier: 820011464 (oclc), 3359324 (digitool), FADT3359324 (IID), fau:1452 (fedora)
Note(s): by Meridith Wailes.
Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Honors College, 2012.
Includes bibliography.
Mode of Access: World Wide Web.
System requirements: Adobe Reader.
Subject(s): Confession (Law) -- United States -- Psychological aspects
Police questioning -- United States -- Psychological aspects
Criminal justice, Administration of -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States
Interviewing in law enforcement -- United States
Criminal investigation -- United States -- Psychological aspects
Held by: FBoU FABOC
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359324
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU

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