Can The Police Lie To You During An Interrogation?
If you are facing criminal charges, you may wonder whether you can challenge a police officer’s actions or present evidence proving the officer lied to you during questioning to fight the charges against you. You may assume that police officers are not allowed to lie to criminal suspects during interrogations. But is that true? The truth is that the police can legally lie to criminal suspects during interrogations. Police officers are not allowed to use physical force during interrogations, but they are permitted to use other psychological tactics, including lying to suspects.
Why Do the Police Lie During Interrogations?
During an interrogation, officers may lie to pressure you into confessing to the crime, even if you are innocent. Unfortunately, false confessions happen a lot and are a leading cause of wrongful convictions in the United States. Police officers may lie to you during an interrogation to persuade you to provide them with incriminating information they can use against you.
What Lies Do the Police Tell During Interrogations?
Police officers can lie about what evidence they have or where they are in the investigation. For example, the police may lie about having your friend’s or alleged co-defendant’s confession. They may lie that they have other pieces of evidence like fingerprints that link you to the crime. Police officers can also lie about how they will help you if you confess to the crime.
It is crucial for those facing police questioning to ensure they make use of their rights. Invoking their right to remain silent and their right to have a defense lawyer present during interrogation can prevent a criminal suspect from falling victim to manipulative police tactics.
Can Police Lies Help Your Defense in Court?
So you spoke to the police and confessed or provided them with incriminating information. Now you are wondering if you can challenge the police officer’s behavior or present evidence that the officer lied to you as a way to fight your charges. Unfortunately, even if you can prove that you were lied to during interrogation about, for instance, what would happen if you cooperated, a judge would not throw out your charges just because of that.
However, if the police overstepped the boundaries, you may have a defense. The police are allowed to lie about the evidence they have, but they are not allowed to fabricate evidence. For instance, the police can lie that they have your fingerprints. However, if the police entered the room with a fingerprint card and said, “Here is the evidence,” they crossed the line. In such a case, an attorney may be able to help you file a motion.
Senate Bill 415 Will Bar Police Officers From Lying to Children To Gain Confessions
Adults are not the only victims of police lies. Police officers also lie to children during interrogations. While the police do not frequently lie to children during interrogations, it does happen.
If Senate Bill 415 is signed into law, police officers in Indiana will no longer be able to lie to children to gain confessions. Senate Bill 415, which was unanimously passed by Indiana Republicans and Democrats, states that any statements made by a juvenile during police questioning would be inadmissible in court if the juvenile is below the age of 18 and has been knowingly lied to by an officer.
Contact an Indianapolis Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you are facing criminal charges and need legal help, contact our Indianapolis criminal defense lawyer at Rigney Law LLC.
Source:
fox59.com/indianapolitics/indiana-police-will-no-longer-be-able-to-lie-to-children-to-gain-confessions/
