Common tactics that the police use to get a confession include pretending they have evidence to use against you, offering leniency, utilizing a good cop/bad cop routine, lying about what others have said about your case, and asking the same questions repeatedly.
Our Oklahoma City criminal defense lawyer knows these tactics and helps fight against them. Below are additional details about these tactics.
1. Misleading You About the Evidence They Have
Police officers may say they have your fingerprints, video footage, or other evidence in the hopes of getting you to confess to a crime. If this happens, ask the police to share the evidence they have with you. At this point, if the police do not actually have evidence, they may move on to another tactic to try to get you to confess.
2. Downplaying the Consequences of a Crime
The police may say something along the lines of, “If you confess to a crime, we will go easy on you.” Regardless, police officers do not have the authority to negotiate a plea deal. As such, if you confess, you should expect to be punished to the full extent of the law, regardless of what police officers claim they can do for you.
3. Playing a Game of Good Cop/Bad Cop
Two police officers may interrogate you, with one seeming empathetic and caring and the other being aggressive and intimidating. If they succeed, you may feel like you have no other option than to confess to a crime. Regardless, you should understand your legal rights, even if a pair of police officers put pressure on you to confess.
4. Saying That Someone Spoke Out Against You or Saw You Commit a Crime
Be wary if the police say a family member, friend, or someone else has already confessed to them that you committed a crime. Police officers may do this to make you feel helpless and scared. However, if you have a lawyer on your side, you can get the help you need to avoid confessing to police officers who try to coerce you into confessing.
5. Interrogating You with the Same Questions for Hours
If the police ask you the same questions in different ways over the course of several hours, they may get you to give a wide range of answers. Eventually, police officers may believe that they can exhaust you to the point where you are willing to admit to a crime. If they do, you may wind up taking the blame for a crime that you did not commit.
Other Tactics That Police Use to Get a Confession
If the police offer you a drink, a cigarette, or food, it may be best not to accept. Police officers may do this to obtain your DNA without you realizing it. From here, they may say that the police found your DNA at the scene of a crime as they try to get you to confess to a crime.
Sometimes, the police will urge you to take a polygraph test to prove that you are innocent. Police officers could have you take this test, but they could claim that you failed even though you passed. They may do so because they believe doing this will convince you to give a confession.
The police may say that you are obstructing justice by not confessing to a crime. But remember, you have rights under the Constitution. Exercise your constitutional right not to say anything. If you want help as police try to get a confession from you, partner with an Oklahoma City DUI defense lawyer with relevant criminal defense case experience.
