Earlier this week the Supreme Court made it easier for inmates to sue
for access to DNA evidence that could establish their innocence. Especially given the role of DNA in exonerating people
who had given false confessions, this decision is most welcome.
Today the Supreme Court hears arguments in the case of a 9-year-old girl
removed from her classroom and questioned at length about whether her father had sexually abused her. She allegedly broke
down and falsely incriminated him. The issue is whether the Fourth Amendment required the authorities to obtain a warrant
before questioning the girl without her mother's consent. Because false accusations are a close cousin of false confessions,
this case should be watched closely.
