I've been retained as a false confessions expert in cases where the allegation
wasn't really a false confession but rather no confession at all. I get the feeling this phenomenon may be surprisingly frequent
-- a suspect, usually young and/or not well-versed in English, signs something that he doesn't realize is a confession. Defense
attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and jurors should all be on guard against this sort of thing.
Take a look at this website, devoted to Johnnie Lee Savory, who was tragically convicted
of double homicide on the basis of what was probably a false confession.
I enthusiastically recommend a new book, published by New Press, coauthored
by Tom Wells & Richard Leo: The Wrong Guys; Murder, False Confessions, and the Norfolk Four.
Of the many good arguments against the war on drugs, one is the militaristic
tactics (SWAT raids and the like) increasingly used. There are quite a few proven false confessions to drug-related crimes,
and the aggressive tactics used by law enforcement in this area ensure that there will be more.
