POST: "The taint of a false confession," by Karen Franklin, posted on "In The News" on September 30, 2012. Karen Franklyn a forensic psychologist
and adjunct professor at Alliant University in Northern California. She
is a former criminal investigator and legal affairs reporter.
GIST: "With the recent tidal wave of scholarly research into false confessions, informed forensic psychologists are by now tuned in to the phenomenon. We know, for example, that they played a role in one out of four DNAexoneration cases. We are aware of their compelling nature, and can cite examples such as the Central Park Jogger case in which they produced profound miscarriages of justice. But let's take it one step further. What if, once police elicit a false confession from a suspect, it contaminates everything and everyone in touches -- from the prosecutor, the judge, and even the suspect's own attorney all the way to the fingerprint identification and even, perhaps, the DNA match?
The entire post can be found at:
GIST: "With the recent tidal wave of scholarly research into false confessions, informed forensic psychologists are by now tuned in to the phenomenon. We know, for example, that they played a role in one out of four DNAexoneration cases. We are aware of their compelling nature, and can cite examples such as the Central Park Jogger case in which they produced profound miscarriages of justice. But let's take it one step further. What if, once police elicit a false confession from a suspect, it contaminates everything and everyone in touches -- from the prosecutor, the judge, and even the suspect's own attorney all the way to the fingerprint identification and even, perhaps, the DNA match?
That is the troubling thesis raised by Saul Kassin, a pioneer in the psychological study of false confessions, in an article in the current issue of the American Psychologist.".........All of this suggests that it is essential for courts to allow the
testimony of forensic experts who can explain the mechanisms of false
confessions, including both what types of police practices are more
likely to generate them, and what types of individual vulnerabilities
make a person especially prone to cave in under such pressure. More
broadly, this line of analysis suggests the need for changes in
police practices, for example an end to the routine practice of lying to
suspects about incriminating evidence, and greater government oversight
and regulation of police interrogations.
Moreover, safeguards on the analysis of supposedly independent
evidence, such as evidence technicians being blind to a suspect's
confession status, must be implemented in order to ensure that
corroborating evidence truly is independent."
The entire post can be found at:
http://forensicpsychologist.blogspot.ca/2012/09/the-tainting-effects-of-false.html
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
