False Confessions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

False Confessions - Essay Example It is also a prosecutor’s most compelling weapon (Kassim & Sukel, 1997). A conviction is possible by confession evidence alone. In the process of police interrogation, obtaining a confession is one of the most important aims. A study by Zimbardo (1967) approximated that of the criminal cases solved by the police, over 80 percent are solved by confession. Confessions are a very dominant form of evidence. This is possibly due to observers misattributing the cause of the confession as being internal to the confessor while disregarding situational factors, for instance a possible coercion which may not be apparent to an observer (Gilbert & Malone, 1995). The big question, however, is whether all confessions are authentic. How are we sure that all suspected individuals give true confessions out of their own wish, without duress during the police interrogations? For instance, in Britain, false confessions rank secondly only to mistaken identities as a cause of wrongful conviction among the cases referred to the Court of Appeal. It is unclear how often false confessions result in wrongful convictions. Scholars, however, agree that enough cases have been documented to raise an eyebrow over such a risk. Leo (1998) states three possible reasons why it may be hard to approximate the prevalence of false confessions. They are: The interrogation procedure and interview tactics used the police have changed over the years. Usually, interrogation is not the first step in an investigation. It is not in question, though, that it can be the last substantial step in an investigation. In the process of an investigation, those involved collect scientific evidence as well as human evidence. For instance, witness statements, eyewitness statements, and collateral statements are collected. At this stage, â€Å"interviews† and â€Å"interrogation† are treated as different enterprises. Law enforcement and interrogation training manuals claim interviews are non-custodial (for

Extending rights within humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Extending rights within humanity - Essay Example e option in the past, still remain an alternative, but do not confer the same benefits, either legal or emotional, on same-sex couples that enter into one; therefore, same-sex marriage must be made legal on the same level as recognized heterosexual marriage to provide these benefits. There are many arguments that support the position of legalizing same-sex marriage, but the strongest is the benefits that would come to children of same-sex relationships upon either the death of a parent or partner, or the dissolution of the union. Gomes is very clear in explaining that even stepparents have more rights than a non-biological parent in a same-sex relationship; stepparents can petition for visitation and custody, and even adoption (3). However, non-biological parents in a same sex relationship have none of these rights, and without a legally recognized marriage in place to support them, the children will suffer unnecessarily at the whim of any family members and/or legal services brought in to assist them. It is a sad testament to the child that has already suffered and grieved, that they may become the object of a feud between estranged family members or legal services, as well as being denied any survivor benefits that would have come from being the child in a leg ally recognized heterosexual marriage. One argument against same-sex marriage is that marriage has traditionally symbolized a relationship in which procreation, meaning children, will occur. Margaret Somerville, in her article The Case Against â€Å"Same-Sex Marriage†, agrees with this objection, stating that â€Å"society needs marriage to establish cultural meaning, symbolism and moral values around the inherently procreative relationship between a man and a woman, and thereby protect that relationship and the children who result from it† (10). Gomes, even though she cites this objection to same-sex marriage, attempts to counter it by stating that marriage and the rights of each partner have evolved and