Interrogations and Confessions

in Jay Albanese, ed., THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE (John Wiley & Sons 2014).

Univ. of San Francisco Law Research Paper

8 Pages Posted: 12 Jul 2012 Last revised: 24 Jun 2014

See all articles by Deborah Davis

Deborah Davis

University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Psychology

Richard A. Leo

University of San Francisco

Date Written: 2011

Abstract

This essay furnishes an overview of scholars’ exploration of the phenomenon of false confession in the American criminal justice system, which remains one of the most prominent causes of wrongful convictions. The essay examines several important issues studied by social scientists and legal scholars, including why false confessions occur, what happens to suspects who make false confessions as their cases proceed through the legal system, and why false confessions remain unrecognized as such by the police, attorneys, judges and juries who assess them.

Keywords: interrogation, false confession, police, wrongful conviction, innocence, criminal procedure

Suggested Citation

Davis, Deborah and Leo, Richard A., Interrogations and Confessions (2011). in Jay Albanese, ed., THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE (John Wiley & Sons 2014)., Univ. of San Francisco Law Research Paper , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2104445

Deborah Davis

University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Psychology ( email )

United States

Richard A. Leo (Contact Author)

University of San Francisco ( email )

2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
United States

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