John Oliver mentioned there’s a complete business on this planet of policing that claims to have the ability to spot liars and may prepare cops to identify liars.
“Nevertheless it’s all bullshit,” he mentioned on Sunday night time’s “Final Week Tonight” on HBO.
Police will typically work relentlessly to get a confession. Many use an interrogation methodology referred to as the Reid technique, which was designed within the Nineteen Fifties by former Chicago police officer John E. Reid.
“The Reid method’s turn out to be a type of issues that simply culturally comes with being a cop, y’know like their fondness for donuts,” Oliver mentioned. “Or their complicity within the perpetuation of state-sponsored violence.”
However the Reid method is stuffed with inconsistencies. Oliver famous that it claims somebody being dishonest could keep away from direct eye contact, but in addition that somebody who’s mendacity would possibly “overcompensate” by staring.
“That means, when you’ve got eyes, you’re mainly fucked,” Oliver mentioned.
What these methods do, nevertheless, is put on down suspects, particularly after prolonged and relentless questioning. One research discovered false confessions occurred after a mean interrogation time of greater than 16 hours.
“Which might be totally exhausting,” Oliver mentioned. “Harmless folks can wind up confessing simply to flee the stress of that scenario.”
Some supply false confessions in hopes that they will later recant and that they’ll be cleared when extra proof emerges. However as Oliver identified, it may be tough to recant as a result of when the police have a confession in hand, they typically cease investigating.
Why even discuss in any respect? Many don’t know higher. In accordance with Oliver, 80 % of suspects waive their Miranda rights, many considering they don’t want a lawyer and don’t have anything to cover.
“However not having a lawyer makes you’re extremely weak,” Oliver mentioned. “As a result of for one factor, a lawyer would possibly clue you in to a fully insane energy that police in America have been given by the Supreme Court docket.”
That energy? They’ll lie as they interrogate you.
Oliver even had footage of a cop mendacity to a suspect by saying he can’t lie in regards to the proof as he offered supposed proof that he was mendacity about.
Oliver concluded with an all-too-honest skit about what a police interrogation would possibly actually appear like:
