People sometimes make mistakes when they find themselves accused of breaking the law. Frequently, innocent people say and do things that can implicate themselves. In fact, people sometimes confess to crimes that they absolutely did not commit.
People who don’t have support when interacting with law enforcement can fall victim to manipulative ploys that put them at a logistical disadvantage during questioning. Sometimes, those people may end up at significant risk of a criminal conviction because they effectively admitted that they broke the law when they actually did not. Some people even explicitly confess to a crime they didn’t commit. The defense attorney they partner with then has to fight an uphill battle in their attempt to undermine the confession or exclude it from inclusion in the criminal persons.
Why would someone who didn’t break the law confess to a crime they didn’t actually commit?
Police officers manipulate people
One of the most common reasons people confess to a crime they didn’t commit is fear of maintaining their innocence. Police officers can outright lie to suspects during a criminal investigation. They can claim they have evidence that they do not actually possess.
For example, they might claim that security video footage places someone at the scene of a criminal act or that there was a confession from someone else involved in the incident. People who believe that the evidence might lead to their conviction no matter what they do may end up confessing.
This is particularly true in cases where police officers make promises about helping someone avoid the worst penalties or advocating for them when they go to trial. There’s absolutely no way to hold police officers to such promises, and they do not actually have the authority to limit what penalties the courts impose after a guilty plea or conviction. Only prosecutors negotiating written plea deals have the authority to make concessions on the charges brought or the sentence imposed.
Interrogations can affect cognition
Many police departments specifically use interrogation tactics intended to compromise people’s ability to think rationally. They limit an individual’s access to food or water and keep them awake for an unusually long time. They ask them the same questions over and over again to trip them up and confuse them.
People may start to question their own recollection of events and may convince themselves that they committed a crime they did not. They may later regret their decision to confess, as it can be very challenging to exclude a confession or fight criminal charges when there is a confession on record.
Recognizing that even intelligent people who did not break the law might confess to a crime can help someone recently arrested understand why they need the advocacy of a skilled defense attorney. The right assistance can make all the difference for someone grappling with manipulative police behavior.