If you have been arrested, then you may be subject to police interrogation. This process involves officers asking you a series of questions to gather evidence.
Facing a police interrogation can be daunting, and there are a series of techniques that officers may use to get you to answer questions in a certain way. Here are some important factors to consider.
Coerced confessions
The ideal situation for officers is to get you to confess to the crime. A confession is arguably the strongest piece of evidence that can be presented in court. However, for a confession to be valid, it must be voluntary.
Sometimes, officers apply pressure to get the accused to confess, even if they didn’t commit the crime in question. They may say things like “If you don’t own up, we are going to send you to jail for a long time”. They may try a more gentle approach, such as suggesting that if you own up then they’ll let you go right away and you’ll serve no prison time. This is something that they cannot guarantee.
While most police officers are honest, they are not always obliged to be. Lying to get confessions is something that has been well documented.
Closed and leading questions
The police may also use closed and leading questions to get you to answer in a certain way. A closed question only has a small number of possible answers. Leading questions aim to elicit certain responses. They can encourage the accused to answer questions in a certain way, even if they do not know what the officer is talking about.
For example, an officer may ask something like “How long were the drugs stored in your house for?”. If the accused answers with something like, “I have no idea” or “They could have been there for any amount of time”, then they have potentially incriminated themself without even realizing it.
When asked questions by the police, it is crucial to assert your Fifth Amendment right to remain silent as well as your right to legal presentation. Seeking legal guidance can help you protect your rights and build the best possible defense strategy.