Ch 7 Flashcards
Interview
Follow-up interviews are more structured and designed to address specific areas of concern.
competency and credibility.
reverse transference or retroactive interference,
occurs when a witness overhears other witnesses discussing their observations and then takes on some, if not all, of their information as his or her own.
Interview Structure
The first step starts with the basic open-ended questions, such as “what happened?” or “what did your see or hear?”
second step: having the witness repeat his or her story while the interviewer takes notes or records the conversation.
The third step of the interview process involves the interviewer going over his or her notes with the witness.
The fourth and final step in the process involves thanking the witness for cooperating and asking for any additional information the witness wants to give at this time.
Physical Signs of Deception
Comfort/Discomfort
A person’s level of comfort or discomfort is one of the most important clues interviewers should focus on when trying to establish veracity. People who tell the truth more often appear comfortable because they have no stress, nor do they have guilty knowledge to make them feel uncomfortable.
Emphasis
Liars, for the most part, do not emphasize with nonverbals.
Synchrony
The lack of synchrony often occurs when people say “I did not do it” while nodding their heads up and down as if to say “Yes, I did it,” or when asked “would you lie about this?” their heads again bob up and down.
Perception management
perception management statements, such as “I could never hurt someone,” “lying is beneath me,” or “I have never lied,” all of which should alert the interviewer to the possibility of deception. Statements such as “to be perfectly frank,” “to be honest,” “to be perfectly truthful,” or “I was always taught to tell the truth” are solely intended to influence the perception of the interviewer.
Cognitive Interview
Instead of asking what happened, the interviewer would ask that the witness relive that part of the day surrounding the crime: how the witness got to the scene, what route was taken, what the weather was like, what was being done during and after the event, and such. This process enhances a person’s retrieval of stored information:
Written statement
The purpose of taking a statement from a witness is generally threefold: 1. Provide a written record that will allow a prosecutor to evaluate the case and plan its presentation at trial 2. Enable the prosecutor to monitor the testimony of the witness in court 3. “Hold” a witness—that is, discourage surprise testimony by providing a possible base for impeaching the witness
Interrogation
The interrogation room should not contain any ornaments, pictures, or other objects that would, in any way, distract the attention of the person being interrogated. Even small, loose objects, such as paper clips or pencils, should be out of the suspect’s reach so that they cannot be picked up and fumbled with during the interrogation. These tension-relieving activities can detract from the effectiveness of the interrogation,
Emotional offender
A sympathetic approach that uses expressions of understanding and compassion is appropriate for these offenders.
None emotional offender
The most effective tactic to use on this offender is the factual analysis approach. This approach appeals to the suspect’s common sense and reasoning rather than emotions and is designed to persuade the suspect that his or her guilt is established and, consequently, the intelligent choice to make is to tell the truth.
Why confess
Research indicates that most guilty persons who confess are, from the outset, looking for the proper opening during the interrogation to communicate their guilt to the interrogators.
emotional offenders, may begin to sob or cry during the interrogation and are, therefore, difficult to understand when they are making a confession. These problems can be overcome by reducing the confession to writing.
