Don't talk to the police

[nancylebov]

This is really important information, but you're also likely to be entertained and fascinated while you're listening to it.

The first half is a fast-talking funny law professor who used to be a defense attorney. The second half is an occasionally funny normal-speed-talking police officer, who doesn't mean to arrest or contribute to the conviction of innocent people.... but he doesn't seem to be able to wrap his mind around the idea that he's doing so. He might be lying about that last.

Anyway, cynical as I am, there were a few details which surprised me. I didn't know the Federal government can't keep track of all its laws which define felonies. Or that anything you say to a police officer which might indicate your innocence is hearsay and inadmissible at a trial, but anything which might indicate guilt is admissible. Any slight mistakes or exaggerations you make when talking to the police will be considered lies and used to wreck your credibility.

I did know that the police are allowed to lie to you in interrogations interviews, but I didn't know all the subtle implications.

Link thanks to andrewducker, though I don't know how many of the details transfer to Scotland.

ETA: Details for the UK.

Comments

[adrian_turtle]

The second half is an occasionally funny normal-speed-talking police officer, who doesn't mean to arrest or contribute to the conviction of innocent people.... but he doesn't seem to be able to wrap his mind around the idea that he's doing so. He might be lying about that last.

I find it sad but plausible that a police officer could believe everybody who makes incriminating statements to him is really guilty. After all, he expects to deal with a disproportionate number of criminals when he goes to work. He and his colleagues consider it their job to seek out criminals, so they are hardly going to think, "80% of the people we interview look like criminals--what's wrong with this picture?"

[andrewducker]

There's a helpful comment from an English barrister on my post, which illuminates some differences.

[andrewducker]

And of course positive things you say aren't evidence. If you say "I didn't do it" then that's meaningless, as you'd say that whether you were innocence or not. If you say "I did do it, with an axe." then that's evidence, because you're admitting guilt.

[madfilkentist]

Even if you say it as sarcasm.

[andrewducker]

Much as when dealing with airport security I advise not making jokes about bombs, when dealing with police detectives I recommend not making jokes about killing people.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

This is a first for me: I watched that whole 48 minutes with sick fascination. Yikes.

Thanks for posting! I will definitely be remembering this and telling my friends about it.

(looks wry)

[tahkhleet.livejournal.com]

The police officer could well be telling the subjective truth. "I don't send innocent people to jail". He doesn't think anyone they arrest is innocent, and if they're technically innocent, they're guilty of something so it's fungible. People rationalize quite well.

Or he might be lying. This is why we need to ban cop shows. They glorify the police and incline society to give them a blank cheque when they're just humans and they have a job staring up the anus of society (as SM Stirling put it) which even in the best of circumstances dispirits and challenges the human spirit. And most people don't navigate spiritual challenges well :(