Don't Talk to the Police
الملخص
TLDRIn this law school classroom experience, a professor ardently emphasizes the importance of the Fifth Amendment, which protects individuals from being forced to incriminate themselves in criminal cases. He passionately advocates for never talking to the police without legal representation, regardless of one's innocence or intentions. Using real crime cases and historical examples, he illustrates how innocent individuals have been wrongfully convicted due to self-incrimination or misrecollection during police interrogations. The professor underscores that even truthful statements can be twisted if the police misremember or misconstrue them, making silence the safest route. He challenges the idea that speaking to police can ever be helpful, discussing the complexity of U.S. laws and the daunting vastness of regulations that make it almost impossible to know what might unintentionally incriminate someone. Finally, he praises the creators of the Bill of Rights while introducing a police officer to echo his warnings from law enforcement's perspective, solidifying his stance against talking to police without an attorney.
الوجبات الجاهزة
- 🔑 Always assert your Fifth Amendment rights; do not speak to the police without legal representation.
- 📜 The Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination, crucial for maintaining one's rights.
- 🚨 Speaking to police rarely helps your case; it often provides opportunities for self-incrimination.
- ✔️ Even innocuous or truthful statements can become incriminating due to police misinterpretation.
- ⚖️ Legal counsel is vital due to the complexity of law and potential legal pitfalls.
- 🧠 Innocent people can make mistakes under pressure, potentially leading to wrongful convictions.
- 🕵️♂️ Interrogations are designed to elicit confessions, often to the detriment of the suspect.
- 📊 Federal laws and the U.S. Code are complex, making it easy to unknowingly implicate oneself.
- 🎙️ Police may misremember or misconstrue statements, turning innocuous remarks into damaging evidence.
- 📉 The odds are against the individual during police questioning, emphasizing the importance of silence.
الجدول الزمني
- 00:00:00 - 00:05:00
A law school professor expresses pride in the Fifth Amendment and explains why one should never talk to police officers, citing cases where individuals have been wrongfully convicted because of their statements to police.
- 00:05:00 - 00:10:00
The professor discusses the complexity of modern federal criminal law which makes it difficult to avoid incriminating oneself, describing how even possessing a lobster can be a federal offense under certain conditions.
- 00:10:00 - 00:15:00
He recounts receiving a call from a former student who was approached by the IRS for questioning, advising him not to speak without immunity, emphasizing that talking to the police can't help.
- 00:15:00 - 00:20:00
The professor reiterates that you cannot talk your way out of getting arrested, explaining that anything you say to the police can be used against you but not for you in court.
- 00:20:00 - 00:25:00
He discusses the issue of admitting guilt, warning that even innocent people may make incriminating statements or lie inadvertently, which can be used against them.
- 00:25:00 - 00:30:00
Emphasizing the potential for wrongful convictions, he explains how innocent statements can be interpreted as motive or opportunity, leading to convictions based on indirect evidence.
- 00:30:00 - 00:35:00
The professor warns that police officers may misremember or lie about statements, increasing the risk of an innocent person being convicted.
- 00:35:00 - 00:40:00
He uses examples of well-known cases to illustrate how even truthful statements can become self-incriminating if the police possess any contradictory evidence.
- 00:40:00 - 00:46:38
Finally, a police officer corroborates the professor's claims, acknowledging that people often incriminate themselves in interviews and highlighting that people inherently want to communicate, which officers use to their advantage.
الخريطة الذهنية
الأسئلة الشائعة
What is the main message of the law professor's lecture?
The law professor stresses that one should never talk to the police without legal counsel, as it can lead to self-incrimination even if the person is innocent.
Why is the Fifth Amendment important according to the speaker?
The Fifth Amendment protects individuals from being compelled to be witnesses against themselves in criminal cases, safeguarding against self-incrimination.
What risks arise from speaking to the police without an attorney?
Speaking to the police can result in self-incrimination, misrecollection of statements being used against you, and unintentionally providing the police with information that may be misconstrued or harmful.
Can truthful information given to the police be harmful?
Yes, even truthful information can be harmful if it is later contradicted by unreliable or mistaken evidence, or if it is misremembered by law enforcement.
Why does the professor mention historical legal cases?
To illustrate how innocent people can be wrongfully convicted due to false confessions or misinterpreted statements.
What is the role of the police officer speaking at the end of the lecture?
The police officer supports the professor’s points about the risks of speaking to the police and explains the tactics used by police during interrogations.
How does the law professor view newspaper articles about individuals talking to the police?
The professor views these articles as cautionary tales that demonstrate the pitfalls and misconceptions about speaking to law enforcement.
Why does the professor emphasize not talking to the police loudly and proudly?
He believes strongly in the protection the Fifth Amendment offers and wants to ensure individuals understand the potential consequences of speaking to law enforcement without protection.
How does the complexity of federal law affect interactions with law enforcement?
The complexity and vastness of federal law make it difficult for individuals to know if they might unintentionally incriminate themselves.
What does the speaker suggest as the best response to police inquiries?
The speaker suggests asserting one’s Fifth Amendment rights and declining to speak with police without legal counsel.
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Lesson 2: Models of Communication | Oral Communication in Context
- 00:00:00I was invited to give you a taste of a
- 00:00:03typical law school classroom experience
- 00:00:04here today and I thought I would take
- 00:00:06advantage of this opportunity to do
- 00:00:07something guys it's been on my mind for
- 00:00:08a while to stand up and to proudly say
- 00:00:11god Bless America god bless the Bill of
- 00:00:13Rights and thank God for the fifth
- 00:00:14amendment I'm not ashamed to say I'm
- 00:00:16proud of the fifth amendment and I'm not
- 00:00:18I'm proud to admit on camera and on the
- 00:00:20internet that I will never talk to any
- 00:00:21police officer under any circumstances
- 00:00:23with all due respect sir I'm doing
- 00:00:27something really extraordinary here
- 00:00:28today something you'll almost never see
- 00:00:29another law professor do as long as you
- 00:00:31live I'm really putting myself on the
- 00:00:33spot here at my even this was my idea by
- 00:00:35my invitation I have given up half of my
- 00:00:37time approximately I'm giving equal time
- 00:00:39and the last word to an expert who
- 00:00:41really knows something about what I'll
- 00:00:42be talking about so I'm opening myself
- 00:00:43up to the possibility that he will
- 00:00:44contradict me I was a criminal defense
- 00:00:47attorney when I was in private practice
- 00:00:48so I wanna make sure in fairness to you
- 00:00:50if I misleading you were giving you a
- 00:00:51slanted or one-sided presentation you'll
- 00:00:54be able to get the last word from
- 00:00:55somebody else I'm sure he'll have a lot
- 00:00:56to teach all of us including myself the
- 00:00:59Fifth Amendment to the United States
- 00:01:00Constitution provides no person shall be
- 00:01:02compelled in any criminal case to be a
- 00:01:04witness against himself and this
- 00:01:07unfortunate amendment has gotten a bad
- 00:01:08rep in in recent times much of it
- 00:01:11tragically and unnecessarily through as
- 00:01:13you may have heard the headlines let me
- 00:01:17read you something that was taken out of
- 00:01:18the newspaper this morning and I want
- 00:01:20you to listen to it closely and I'm
- 00:01:21giving you heads up
- 00:01:21I'm warning you in advance which is not
- 00:01:23fair to you not fair to me but I'm
- 00:01:25giving you a head I'm giving you a
- 00:01:26warning that I'll be quizzing you on
- 00:01:27this in just a few minutes this will
- 00:01:29test your aptitude for legal study and
- 00:01:31legal practice listen closely it won't
- 00:01:32take long
- 00:01:33last night agents of the Norfolk Police
- 00:01:36Department found three victims of an
- 00:01:38apparent murder dead in an apartment in
- 00:01:39the East ocean view area the apparent
- 00:01:41victims of a gangland-style slaying and
- 00:01:43possibly the victims of gang-related
- 00:01:45violence the police are investigating
- 00:01:47this as a possible murder and suicide
- 00:01:48but right now suspect that the three
- 00:01:50were all killed by the same individual
- 00:01:52no suspects have yet been identified in
- 00:01:54the slain but veteran police detective
- 00:01:56George Brooke has confirmed the police
- 00:01:58are following up on evidence pointing to
- 00:02:00the possible involvement of an off-duty
- 00:02:01naval officer as the perpetrator the
- 00:02:04bodies which were found by the apartment
- 00:02:05manager at about 8 o'clock in the
- 00:02:06morning appeared to have been slain
- 00:02:08sometime earlier in the same evening
- 00:02:09probably sometime between midnight and
- 00:02:112:00 o'clock in the morning
- 00:02:13that's it those are all the facts I'll
- 00:02:15ask you to remember and it won't be for
- 00:02:17very long either let's see how well you
- 00:02:18do I'll be quizzing you in just a few
- 00:02:19minutes now here's the easiest question
- 00:02:22you'll ever get from a client in all the
- 00:02:24days of your life question hey the
- 00:02:26police are here they want to talk to me
- 00:02:28what should I do
- 00:02:29well I could give you my answer to that
- 00:02:31question in case you haven't already
- 00:02:32guessed it but why don't we go to a real
- 00:02:34expert
- 00:02:34just as Robert Jackson a prosecutors
- 00:02:37prosecutor like me he began his private
- 00:02:39practice in Buffalo New York
- 00:02:41years before I did and after that he
- 00:02:42served as general counsel for the Bureau
- 00:02:44of Internal Revenue
- 00:02:44the US Department of Treasury the
- 00:02:46securing the Exchange Commission
- 00:02:47Assistant US Attorney General for the
- 00:02:49tax division later the Solicitor General
- 00:02:51and the Attorney General of the United
- 00:02:52States and then the chief he was
- 00:02:54prosecuted for the Nuremberg trials
- 00:02:55that's an impressive resume years later
- 00:02:58when he was a justice on the Supreme
- 00:02:59Court justice Jackson stated quote any
- 00:03:02lawyer worth his salt today we would say
- 00:03:04his or her will tell the suspect his
- 00:03:07client in no uncertain terms to make no
- 00:03:10statement to the police under any
- 00:03:11circumstances there's the title of my
- 00:03:13talk I'm here to explain you the
- 00:03:15surprising and somewhat counterintuitive
- 00:03:16and admittedly unlikely reasons why
- 00:03:18justice Jackson was right I'm reminded
- 00:03:22of this because I'm amazed we're all
- 00:03:23amazed by the frequency with which we
- 00:03:25see newspaper articles coming on all the
- 00:03:27time from people who really ought to
- 00:03:28know better who stay well I'll talk to
- 00:03:30the police I mean after all I'm I'm a
- 00:03:32senator I'm AJ Simpson I'm I'm an
- 00:03:36experienced highly polished individual
- 00:03:37eigvals got a lot of experience with
- 00:03:38public relations even criminal defense
- 00:03:40attorneys there was a local news story
- 00:03:41here in the virginian-pilot
- 00:03:43just a couple of months ago about
- 00:03:44experienced criminal defense lawyer who
- 00:03:46ended up getting convicted of criminal
- 00:03:48assault because he talked to the police
- 00:03:50he was accused of having assaulted
- 00:03:52another attorney in the hallway there
- 00:03:54were no other witnesses to this a woman
- 00:03:56said that he grabbed her by the throat
- 00:03:57during an argument over a case he denied
- 00:03:59it
- 00:03:59at trial was his word against hers he
- 00:04:02said I did not even touch her but
- 00:04:04unfortunately for him when the police
- 00:04:06had approached him earlier and said
- 00:04:07would you be willing to answer some
- 00:04:08questions he said sure why not I'm a I'm
- 00:04:10an attorney I'm a criminal defense
- 00:04:11attorney I'm savvy I'm sophisticated
- 00:04:13I've got oratorical prowess I'm I'm
- 00:04:15accustomed to dealing with the police by
- 00:04:16all means
- 00:04:17and then there was a conversation that
- 00:04:18was not recorded when the case went to
- 00:04:20trial it was no longer his word against
- 00:04:22hers because when he testified the trial
- 00:04:24I never touched her the officer took to
- 00:04:25the stand and testified well when I met
- 00:04:27with
- 00:04:27he said he did put his hand on her
- 00:04:29throat but just as a joke then he had to
- 00:04:31take the stand again and say that's not
- 00:04:32true I never said that I never admitted
- 00:04:34to you that I now it's his word against
- 00:04:35two people who's telling the truth we'll
- 00:04:37never know for sure but he was found
- 00:04:38guilty now here's part of the problem
- 00:04:42the heart of the problem as justice
- 00:04:44breyer on the US Supreme Court explained
- 00:04:46in 1998 is quote the complexity of
- 00:04:48modern federal criminal law codified in
- 00:04:50several thousand sections of the United
- 00:04:52States Code and the virtually infinite
- 00:04:53variety of factual circumstances that
- 00:04:56might trigger an investigation into a
- 00:04:57possible violation of the law make it
- 00:04:59difficult for anyone to know in advance
- 00:05:01just when a particular substr statements
- 00:05:04might later appear to a prosecutor to be
- 00:05:06relevant to some investigation one
- 00:05:09expert on criminal law recently noted
- 00:05:11that estimates of the current size of
- 00:05:13the body of federal criminal law vary
- 00:05:14although it has been reported that the
- 00:05:16Congressional Research Service can no
- 00:05:17longer even count the current number of
- 00:05:19federal crimes that's right even the
- 00:05:21federal government has lost count
- 00:05:22these laws are scheduled over all 50
- 00:05:24pages of the US Code encompassing
- 00:05:25roughly 27,000 pages worse yet these
- 00:05:28statutes often incorporate by reference
- 00:05:30for the provisions of administrative
- 00:05:32regulations estimates of how many such
- 00:05:34regulations exist are even less well
- 00:05:36settled although the ABA thinks there
- 00:05:38may be nearly 10,000 here's one of those
- 00:05:4010,000 federal criminal statutes on the
- 00:05:42book that you probably never heard about
- 00:05:44it's called the Lacey Act 16 USC section
- 00:05:4633 70 says it's a federal offense for
- 00:05:49any person to import export transport
- 00:05:51sell receive acquire or purchase any
- 00:05:53fish or wildlife or plant taken
- 00:05:56possessed transported or sold in the
- 00:05:58violation of any law treaty or
- 00:06:00regulation of the United States or any
- 00:06:03Indian tribal law or any state or any
- 00:06:05foreign law people have been convicted
- 00:06:07in federal court for violating the
- 00:06:09statute because they brought back a bony
- 00:06:10fish from Honduras not knowing that
- 00:06:12Honduran law not American but Honduran
- 00:06:14law forbade the possession of the bony
- 00:06:15fish people have been convicted under
- 00:06:17the lists law because they were found in
- 00:06:18possession of a what's called a short
- 00:06:19Lobster elapsed have is under a certain
- 00:06:21size some states prevent you from
- 00:06:23possessing the lobster if he's under a
- 00:06:24certain length it doesn't matter if he's
- 00:06:26dead or alive it doesn't matter if you
- 00:06:27killed it or if you died of natural
- 00:06:28causes it doesn't even matter if you
- 00:06:29acted in self-defense
- 00:06:30did you know that there do now it can be
- 00:06:33a federal offense to be in possession of
- 00:06:34a lobster admit it raise you hand if you
- 00:06:36did not know bad there's the problem
- 00:06:38and that's only one of 10,000 different
- 00:06:40ways you know the government gets pretty
- 00:06:42upset when people like me instructs the
- 00:06:43client people like me and justice
- 00:06:45Jackson don't talk to the police don't
- 00:06:47answer any questions but you know they
- 00:06:48can't have it both ways
- 00:06:49you people you've got 10,000 different
- 00:06:51ways of convicting us good for you but
- 00:06:53you know with the bitter comes to the
- 00:06:55sweet with the good comes to the band
- 00:06:56that's ten thousand different ways my
- 00:06:57client might unknowingly implicate
- 00:06:59himself in some sort of a criminal
- 00:07:00transaction one of the reasons I decided
- 00:07:01to give this talk I recently received a
- 00:07:03phone call from a former student of mine
- 00:07:04a regional law school graduate who may
- 00:07:06be watching this online we're putting it
- 00:07:08on the Internet and he told me hey I've
- 00:07:10been approached by the Internal Revenue
- 00:07:11Service they want to ask me a couple of
- 00:07:12questions they asked if I don't be
- 00:07:13willing to but they say that I'm not a
- 00:07:16suspect and I know I'm my heart I don't
- 00:07:17think I've done anything wrong and
- 00:07:18violation of the Internal Revenue
- 00:07:19Service provisions lord have mercy
- 00:07:22there's no man on earth those no there's
- 00:07:24no woman in this country who can
- 00:07:26honestly say with complete confidence I
- 00:07:27know I have never violated any provision
- 00:07:28of the Internal Revenue Code he said but
- 00:07:30but they say I'm not a suspect and I
- 00:07:32know I've done nothing wrong it's okay
- 00:07:33if I talk to him I said no no you tell
- 00:07:35them you will not talk to them without
- 00:07:36immunity I explained to him why that was
- 00:07:39true and they never he never heard from
- 00:07:41them again okay why you should never
- 00:07:44talk to the police let me just spell it
- 00:07:45out for you let me make it plain to all
- 00:07:46of you these are the top 10 reasons I I
- 00:07:48don't actually really you lie to you I
- 00:07:49don't really have ten I don't I'm for
- 00:07:51ten but I've got time for eight and
- 00:07:52that'll be close enough number one and
- 00:07:55this really ought to be good enough
- 00:07:56contrary to what you laymen
- 00:07:57instinctively naturally supposed it can
- 00:07:59not help there is no way it can help you
- 00:08:02plenty of folks think that I can and
- 00:08:04they're always wrong you cannot talk
- 00:08:05your way out of getting arrested
- 00:08:06officer Brooke you've interviewed
- 00:08:08thousands of criminal suspects have you
- 00:08:10ever how many times in your experience
- 00:08:11have you approached someone asked if you
- 00:08:13could ask them some questions because
- 00:08:14prior to the interview you had some
- 00:08:15evidence pointing to as possible guilt
- 00:08:17and because of the extraordinary
- 00:08:18persuasiveness and eloquence with which
- 00:08:20he articulated his innocence you setup
- 00:08:22sorry nevermind bank all my bad I won't
- 00:08:24and you he talked you out of arresting
- 00:08:26him never never it never happens I've
- 00:08:30often asked other criminal defense
- 00:08:31attorneys and all of your experience
- 00:08:32have you ever once hit a case where you
- 00:08:34looked back in hindsight and said thank
- 00:08:35God my client talked to the police they
- 00:08:37laugh at me they laugh at me they say
- 00:08:38you've got to be kidding me you cannot
- 00:08:40help you you can't talk your way of
- 00:08:41getting arrested and contrary to what
- 00:08:43you might suppose if you never said to
- 00:08:44the Rules of Evidence
- 00:08:45what you tell the police even if it's
- 00:08:46exculpatory cannot be used to help you a
- 00:08:49trial because it's what we call hearsay
- 00:08:51under
- 00:08:51Rules of Evidence specifically rule 801
- 00:08:53d-2 a if you want to look it up
- 00:08:55everything you tell the police as the
- 00:08:57saying goes can and will be used against
- 00:08:59you but it cannot be used for you from
- 00:09:00time to time
- 00:09:01I've known attorneys who tried to call
- 00:09:03to the stand a police officer and say
- 00:09:04officer would you tell the jury what my
- 00:09:06client told you because what my client
- 00:09:08told him was actually good for my case
- 00:09:09if you tried that at trial the
- 00:09:10prosecutor will object that is hearsay
- 00:09:12and the judge will agree the police will
- 00:09:13not be allowed and your request to tell
- 00:09:16the jury what your client told him no
- 00:09:17matter how good it may be for your case
- 00:09:18it cannot help and that ought to be good
- 00:09:21enough reason that ought to be reason
- 00:09:22enough to keep your mouth shut but if
- 00:09:26you're not persuaded let me go talk
- 00:09:27about a couple of others number two
- 00:09:28obviously one of the most obvious if
- 00:09:30your client is guilty as many of them
- 00:09:33are but even if he's not even if he's
- 00:09:35innocent he may well admit his guilt
- 00:09:37with no benefit in return now of course
- 00:09:40many of you are thinking to yourself
- 00:09:41what's so wrong about that I mean
- 00:09:43shouldn't guilty people be confessing
- 00:09:45confessions good for the soul it's good
- 00:09:47for law enforcement it's good for the
- 00:09:48prisons yes yeah sure all those things
- 00:09:50are true and liked the rest of you if I
- 00:09:52or anyone close to me is ever the victim
- 00:09:54of some sort of a serious crime I hope
- 00:09:55they get the right guy I hope they
- 00:09:57convict him I hope they put him away we
- 00:09:58all feel that way
- 00:09:59hey but what's for the rush friends you
- 00:10:01don't go to admit your guilt the first
- 00:10:02time they come by to meet with you in
- 00:10:04federal court 84-68 II 6% of all
- 00:10:07defendants plead guilty at some point
- 00:10:08before trial if your client is guilty
- 00:10:10and really ought to punish and really
- 00:10:11gotta have a go through some sort of a
- 00:10:13cleansing act of contrition fess up and
- 00:10:15admit his guilt
- 00:10:16there'll be plenty of time to do that
- 00:10:17they almost always do no need to rush no
- 00:10:19need to tell the police something wait
- 00:10:21and see if we perhaps your client can't
- 00:10:23work out some sort of an arrangement
- 00:10:24where maybe he'll make some sort of
- 00:10:26compensation to the alleged victim or
- 00:10:27maybe he'll be able to get some sort of
- 00:10:29a discount in his sentence and he'll be
- 00:10:30able to treat it'll be treated fairly
- 00:10:32then like everybody else who had the
- 00:10:33benefit of a good lawyer who said please
- 00:10:35do not talk to the police
- 00:10:36and don't forget by the way even if even
- 00:10:39if your client only admits things that
- 00:10:42the police already knew you might think
- 00:10:44well what harm can it do he says he
- 00:10:45wants to talk to the police
- 00:10:46all he wants to do is admit that he was
- 00:10:47there but the cops know that he was
- 00:10:49there alright go ahead and tell him
- 00:10:50well how can I hurt it might hurt if the
- 00:10:51police officer becomes transferred to
- 00:10:53Minnesota or deceased or injured or
- 00:10:55comatose or cannot be located by the
- 00:10:56time of trial the case will be dismissed
- 00:10:58if there's no confession but if your
- 00:10:59client admits to things that's
- 00:11:01confession is freely admissible against
- 00:11:03him it can be a basis for getting him
- 00:11:04convicted all
- 00:11:05himself Senator Larry Craig can explain
- 00:11:07all this to you the Innocence Project of
- 00:11:12the United States has confirmed that in
- 00:11:15more than 25% of all the cases where an
- 00:11:17innocent man was convicted and then
- 00:11:19later released from prison after he was
- 00:11:21exonerated by DNA of us and more than a
- 00:11:22quarter of those cases these innocent
- 00:11:24people people we know to be innocent
- 00:11:25made incriminated statements delivered
- 00:11:27outright confessions or pled guilty how
- 00:11:30do they do that he'll tell us all about
- 00:11:31it I'm trust here's a couple of famous
- 00:11:34examples you can just ask them you don't
- 00:11:35have to take my word for it they are on
- 00:11:37the left with Eddie Joe Lloyd he was
- 00:11:38convicted in 1984 of the murder of a 16
- 00:11:41year old girl in Detroit after he wrote
- 00:11:43to police with suggestions on how to
- 00:11:44solve arias recent crimes during several
- 00:11:46interviews police fed details of the
- 00:11:48crime to mr. Lloyd who was mentally ill
- 00:11:50and they lied to him and convinced to
- 00:11:52this mentally ill man that by confessing
- 00:11:54he might help them smoke out the real
- 00:11:56killer he later signed a confession it
- 00:11:58gave a tape-recorded statement the jury
- 00:12:00delivered in less than one hour before
- 00:12:01convicting him on the basis of this
- 00:12:02confession there was no other
- 00:12:03substantial evidence against him the
- 00:12:05judge said I'd hang you if I could but
- 00:12:07the death penalty was not available in
- 00:12:08Michigan at the time but after almost
- 00:12:10two decades in prison he was released
- 00:12:12after DNA evidence proved that this man
- 00:12:14was innocent and that falsely committed
- 00:12:15confessed to a crime that he did not
- 00:12:16commit on the right as Earl Washington
- 00:12:18who was released from prison just a few
- 00:12:21years ago here in Virginia after
- 00:12:22spending 18 years behind bars for a cook
- 00:12:25after being committed of a rape and a
- 00:12:26murder that we now know he did not
- 00:12:27commit after having been exonerated by
- 00:12:29DNA evidence but be this man mr.
- 00:12:31Washington who was in fact confirmed to
- 00:12:33be mentally [ __ ] was able to confess
- 00:12:36to several crimes at the request of the
- 00:12:37police some of which we know he could
- 00:12:39not have committed that's the problem
- 00:12:42some of you are thinking to yourself
- 00:12:44well none of this concerns me because
- 00:12:45I'm not guilty of anything and I never
- 00:12:47will be and I will never represent
- 00:12:48people who do okay let's talk to you
- 00:12:52people you innocent folks those of you
- 00:12:54who have never committed a crime and
- 00:12:55never will in none of your clients will
- 00:12:56either and no and you wouldn't go out
- 00:12:58with a girl who did fine you better not
- 00:13:00talk to the police either okay because
- 00:13:02number three well put the guilty behind
- 00:13:04us forget about them let's talk about
- 00:13:06innocent people number three even if
- 00:13:07your client is innocent and he denies
- 00:13:09his guilt and almost entirely tells the
- 00:13:11truth odds are good he will easily get
- 00:13:13carried away and tell some little lie or
- 00:13:15make some little mistake that will hang
- 00:13:16him this is human nature you get
- 00:13:19in there it's a stressful situation
- 00:13:20imagine a perfectly innocent client the
- 00:13:22police say he's been guilty of a murder
- 00:13:23he's totally innocent as innocent as any
- 00:13:25one of us so he goes in there he meets
- 00:13:26with the police he says I don't know
- 00:13:27what you're talking about
- 00:13:28I was nowhere near there I I I didn't
- 00:13:30kill him I've never killed anybody I
- 00:13:31don't have a gun I've never had a gun
- 00:13:32I've never touched a gun in my life I
- 00:13:33was nowhere near Virginia Beach that
- 00:13:35like then let naik up and that last line
- 00:13:37was a lie he went over the top he was
- 00:13:39getting carried away he guided into this
- 00:13:40groove he started seeing all kinds of
- 00:13:41things almost all of them true that he
- 00:13:43knew would tend to exculpate himself
- 00:13:45then he got carried away he just said
- 00:13:47one thing that wasn't true and
- 00:13:48unfortunately for him they can prove
- 00:13:49that it wasn't true he may be convicted
- 00:13:51on that basis alone but let's say to you
- 00:13:53let's say well let's not a problem I'll
- 00:13:54tell my client only to tell the truth
- 00:13:56I've met with him I know he won't lie to
- 00:13:57the police he won't make any mistakes
- 00:13:58okay that's still no guarantee you won't
- 00:14:00be getting into trouble because even if
- 00:14:01your client is innocent and only tells
- 00:14:03the truth and doesn't say anything that
- 00:14:06is false now already would mind you were
- 00:14:07pretty well nigh into Fantasyland the
- 00:14:10odds of this being anybody being able to
- 00:14:11pull this off are really quite slim no
- 00:14:12matter how innocent they may be but just
- 00:14:14do the same let's pretend let's assume
- 00:14:16he gives the police nothing but the
- 00:14:17truth and he is totally innocent he will
- 00:14:18always give the police some information
- 00:14:20that can be used to help convict him
- 00:14:21always for example suppose you tell this
- 00:14:25to the police here's what your client
- 00:14:26tells to the police in his denial of
- 00:14:28guilt I don't know what you're talking
- 00:14:29about I would I didn't kill Jones I
- 00:14:30don't know who did I wasn't anywhere
- 00:14:32near that place I don't have a gun I've
- 00:14:33never owned a gun in my life I don't
- 00:14:34even know how to use a gun yeah sure I
- 00:14:36never like the guy but who did I
- 00:14:37wouldn't kill him I've never heard
- 00:14:38anybody in my life and I would never do
- 00:14:39such a thing let's suppose every word of
- 00:14:41that is true 100% of it is true what
- 00:14:43will the jury hear at trial officer
- 00:14:45broke was there anything about this your
- 00:14:47interrogation your interview with the
- 00:14:48suspect that made you concerned that he
- 00:14:50might be the right one yes there was he
- 00:14:51confessed to me that he never liked the
- 00:14:53guy and then the prosecutor put that up
- 00:14:55in big letters and he'll say ladies and
- 00:14:56gentle degree it's pretty clear that
- 00:14:57we've got the right guy here we've
- 00:14:58proven that he was in Virginia Beach
- 00:15:00that night that's opportunity and
- 00:15:01remember officer brouk admitted that
- 00:15:03after extended question he was finally
- 00:15:04able to get the defendant to admit that
- 00:15:06he never liked the guy there's your
- 00:15:07motive motive plus opportunity wham bam
- 00:15:09please
- 00:15:12but juries eat it up and innocent people
- 00:15:15get convicted to this way sometimes how
- 00:15:16often hopefully not too often but we
- 00:15:17know what happens the United States
- 00:15:19Supreme Court don't take my word for
- 00:15:21this in Ohio versus Ryan of the Supreme
- 00:15:23Court of the United States said quote
- 00:15:24one of the Fifth Amendment's basic
- 00:15:27functions is to protect innocent men who
- 00:15:29otherwise might be ensnared by ambiguous
- 00:15:31circumstances truthful responses of an
- 00:15:33innocent witness as well as those of a
- 00:15:36wrongdoer may provide the government
- 00:15:37with incriminating evidence from the
- 00:15:39speaker's own mouth see it's not just
- 00:15:40some criminal defense attorney telling
- 00:15:41you this even the Supreme Court says I'm
- 00:15:43right in the fact under the facts of
- 00:15:44that case by the way in Ohio vs. Reiner
- 00:15:46a child tragically was died apparently
- 00:15:48the result of shaken baby syndrome
- 00:15:49question was who had shaken this baby to
- 00:15:51death and one of the possible suspects
- 00:15:54was a babysitter who had spent some time
- 00:15:56with the child that week
- 00:15:57the babysitter's story was I I don't
- 00:15:59know what you're talking about I did not
- 00:16:00kill the child I don't see I did not to
- 00:16:02get heaven I don't know who shook the
- 00:16:03baby it was never me I never did
- 00:16:04anything of any violent nature to the
- 00:16:06child the Ohio State Court said well
- 00:16:08you've got no Fifth Amendment privilege
- 00:16:09you would by your own admission told the
- 00:16:11investigators that you've done nothing
- 00:16:12wrong that you were not involved so
- 00:16:13obviously your answers can't incriminate
- 00:16:14you the United States Supreme Court
- 00:16:16reversed and said well that's not true
- 00:16:17even though they chucked this babysitter
- 00:16:19denies shaking the child denies seeing
- 00:16:21the child died and I know he denies
- 00:16:23knowing how the child died this
- 00:16:25babysitter by her own admission
- 00:16:27apparently was being was that the
- 00:16:29government wanted to ask whether the
- 00:16:31babysitter might have been with the
- 00:16:32child at some point that week during the
- 00:16:34week prior to the death and that answer
- 00:16:35although but by itself not sufficient to
- 00:16:37convict anybody could help convict her
- 00:16:39that me she's got a Fifth Amendment
- 00:16:40right to have refused to answer to the
- 00:16:41question the court held because it could
- 00:16:44be used to help convict Allman versus
- 00:16:47United States the Supreme Court said
- 00:16:48more than 50 years ago eerily prophetic
- 00:16:52they said to many Americans even those
- 00:16:54who should be better advised view this
- 00:16:56privilege as a shelter for wrongdoers
- 00:16:58they too readily assumed that those who
- 00:16:59invoke it are either guilty of crime or
- 00:17:01commit perjury and claiming the
- 00:17:02privilege that's not true and it never
- 00:17:03has been but it gets worse
- 00:17:06Kenny favors it can number 5 even if
- 00:17:09your client is innocent and only tells
- 00:17:11of the truth and does not tell the
- 00:17:13police anything incriminating which by
- 00:17:14the way is almost impossible to pull
- 00:17:16this off I mean imagine talking to the
- 00:17:18police for two three four hours and and
- 00:17:20somebody like him can't somehow managed
- 00:17:21to extract from you is something that
- 00:17:22could be used to help convict you there
- 00:17:25to be extraordinary
- 00:17:26think anybody's pulled it up but what
- 00:17:27even if you could pull it off there's
- 00:17:28still a grave chance that his answers
- 00:17:30can and will be used to crucify you in a
- 00:17:33court of law if the police no offense
- 00:17:34don't recall his testimony with 100%
- 00:17:36accuracy
- 00:17:37all right now this brings us back to
- 00:17:39that pop quiz I warned you about I told
- 00:17:40you earlier remember [ __ ] it's only been
- 00:17:41a few minutes and you weren't up all
- 00:17:43night and you were at the subject of
- 00:17:44physical duress you were in the relaxed
- 00:17:46setting of a classroom here
- 00:17:47you were given heads-up advanced notice
- 00:17:49that you would be quizzed on this
- 00:17:51question we'll start with a couple of
- 00:17:53easy ones remember that article I read
- 00:17:55you about that how many people did the
- 00:17:58police find shot to death last night at
- 00:17:59that oceanview apartment that I told you
- 00:18:00about a1 b2 c3 d4 who says a b c get
- 00:18:09this so get there with a camera show get
- 00:18:10move that camera look how many hands
- 00:18:12we've got there for C ok D you're all
- 00:18:17wrong everybody who raised their hand
- 00:18:19everybody who raised their hand you are
- 00:18:22the kind of people who should never talk
- 00:18:24to the police under any circumstances or
- 00:18:25as long as you live
- 00:18:26why is C not the right answer by the way
- 00:18:28if you know raise your hand yes
- 00:18:33excellent I didn't say anybody was shot
- 00:18:35I didn't say gun bullet shooting
- 00:18:39firearms didn't use any of those words
- 00:18:42but I don't blame you if you thought
- 00:18:44that I did this is the way the human
- 00:18:46mind works we hear things we fill in
- 00:18:48details
- 00:18:49I said gangland style slang that may or
- 00:18:52may not apply something but it doesn't
- 00:18:53mean that anybody was shot and that's
- 00:18:55the problem you see even if your client
- 00:18:57is innocent and only tells the truth and
- 00:18:59doesn't tell them anything incriminating
- 00:19:00and his statement is videotaped his
- 00:19:03answers can be used to crucify him you
- 00:19:05might say wait how can that happen
- 00:19:06I insisted in my insistence I called the
- 00:19:08police and I said look at you want to
- 00:19:09talk to my client you can talk to him
- 00:19:11but only if you finish yet the whole
- 00:19:12thing I don't want there to be any
- 00:19:13debate between the two of you over what
- 00:19:15happened okay well the videotape the
- 00:19:16whole thing if the police don't recall
- 00:19:18their questions with 100% accuracy he'll
- 00:19:20be convicted on that statement alone for
- 00:19:22example suppose a man goes to the police
- 00:19:24they say we're investigating a possible
- 00:19:25murder a shooting and the guy says quote
- 00:19:28I don't know who killed Jones officer
- 00:19:29Brooke with all due respect I it wasn't
- 00:19:31me I've never touched a fired a gun in
- 00:19:33my life how can that help incriminates
- 00:19:35man how could they possibly be used
- 00:19:36against this man to help convict him you
- 00:19:39think it's inconceivable but it's as
- 00:19:41easy as pie
- 00:19:42all the officer has to do is read this
- 00:19:44statement to the jury and then the
- 00:19:45prosecutor says officer proof was there
- 00:19:46anything about that statement that
- 00:19:47confused you or surprised you yes there
- 00:19:49was he says in a moment of sinister high
- 00:19:50drama in the courtroom and what was that
- 00:19:52and then obviously Brooke turned to the
- 00:19:53jurors and he says I never said anything
- 00:19:55about a shooting I said we were
- 00:19:56investigating a murder he was the one
- 00:19:59who brought up a gun then you turn to
- 00:20:01your client your client says that's not
- 00:20:02true that's not true I remember he was
- 00:20:04the one or one of the cops I was with
- 00:20:05him for three hours one of them in the
- 00:20:06car said something about they said they
- 00:20:08had a witness that I was the shooter
- 00:20:09okay I'll put you on the stand and then
- 00:20:11your client testifies no no no they did
- 00:20:13tell me shooting I mentioned they
- 00:20:14mentioned before I said anything about a
- 00:20:15gun they brought it up first and then
- 00:20:16the police said that's not true and now
- 00:20:18what it's your word against theirs for
- 00:20:19what you're gambling with your clients
- 00:20:21life and police officers can very easily
- 00:20:24make a mistake like that just as so many
- 00:20:26of you did just a few minutes ago about
- 00:20:27whether you recall having heard me say
- 00:20:29something about somebody actually being
- 00:20:30shot police make mistakes innocently
- 00:20:34inadvertently unintentionally any
- 00:20:36statement no matter how exco pictorially
- 00:20:38may seem on its face can be used to
- 00:20:39crucify you all by itself if the police
- 00:20:41are either willing to lie not likely or
- 00:20:43if they just have a innocent Mis
- 00:20:45recollection of the details as to what
- 00:20:47they did and did not tell you before you
- 00:20:48told them what you said all of these by
- 00:20:50the way all of these problems disappear
- 00:20:52if you take justice Jackson's advice and
- 00:20:53say thank you very much opposite by no
- 00:20:55thanks how about this one here we go now
- 00:20:58here's the most surprising of all I've
- 00:21:00saved the most surprising one for a last
- 00:21:01let's suppose you've got the following
- 00:21:03scenario your client thinking about
- 00:21:05talking to the police he acts like he
- 00:21:06says I've got nothing to hide they think
- 00:21:08that I killed somebody in Virginia Beach
- 00:21:10last night well weary and this is what
- 00:21:12and this is what your client tells you
- 00:21:13in confidence I don't know who robbed
- 00:21:15that store it wasn't me in fact I've got
- 00:21:18a pretty good alibi I wasn't even in
- 00:21:19Virginia Beach that night last night I
- 00:21:21was four hours away visiting my mother
- 00:21:23in the Outer Banks unfortunately no I
- 00:21:26did not pay for guests with a credit
- 00:21:27card
- 00:21:28I used cash and so I've got no witnesses
- 00:21:30that can prove I was there except my
- 00:21:31word and of course mama for what that's
- 00:21:33worth which is nothing but so your
- 00:21:38client says let's so the police want to
- 00:21:39talk to me and I want to seem
- 00:21:40cooperative so what I'll do is I'll tell
- 00:21:42them that I was in the Outer Banks last
- 00:21:43night no there's nothing on its face
- 00:21:45incriminating about any of that let's
- 00:21:47assume by the way that you will believe
- 00:21:48with all your doubt you've given your
- 00:21:49client a polygraph exam you've known him
- 00:21:52for years you've been going to the same
- 00:21:53Bible study for 30 years you know beyond
- 00:21:55a shadow of a doubt that he's telling
- 00:21:56you the truth and he's not admitting
- 00:21:59anything he's not admitting motive he's
- 00:22:01not admitting opportunity he's not
- 00:22:02admitting that he was there how on earth
- 00:22:04could this come back to haunt us how on
- 00:22:06earth could this come back to be used
- 00:22:07against us be honest raise your hand if
- 00:22:09you really think the answer to that
- 00:22:10question is I can't see how it could
- 00:22:11possibly be used against me you're
- 00:22:14afraid I'll calling you right now I
- 00:22:15won't call on you well you're wrong
- 00:22:16you're dead wrong you're always wrong
- 00:22:18everything you say every time you talk
- 00:22:21to the police you will regret it you see
- 00:22:24the problem is here it is this is the
- 00:22:25last point I think it's almost willing
- 00:22:27even if your client is innocent and only
- 00:22:29tells the truth and doesn't tell the
- 00:22:30police anything incriminating and the
- 00:22:32entire interview questions and answers
- 00:22:33are videotape you're even his truthful
- 00:22:36answers can be helped to use crucify
- 00:22:37even an innocent man if the police
- 00:22:39through no fault of theirs end up in the
- 00:22:41possession of any evidence even mistaken
- 00:22:43and unreliable evidence that anything
- 00:22:45your client told them was false even if
- 00:22:47in fact it was true again going back to
- 00:22:49this example from a moment ago let's
- 00:22:51suppose I tell I go ahead and I meet
- 00:22:52with the police I got think I got
- 00:22:53nothing to hide I tell them I was in the
- 00:22:55Outer Banks last night officer how can
- 00:22:56it be used to convict me by itself it
- 00:22:58cannot it cannot help at all by itself
- 00:23:00but what if I later find out to my
- 00:23:01horror after I put my cards on the table
- 00:23:03that they've got a witness a girl that I
- 00:23:05went to high school with and on a peach
- 00:23:07of a witness we've never been enemies
- 00:23:08she'd have no reason to lie she swears
- 00:23:10she thinks she saw me in Virginia Beach
- 00:23:12last night a couple of blocks away from
- 00:23:14that store about an hour before it was
- 00:23:15robbed
- 00:23:16now her testimony by itself isn't going
- 00:23:18to help the prosecutor help if she's all
- 00:23:20they've got I'll get this case thrown
- 00:23:22out before a trial but it's like an
- 00:23:23idiot I talked to the police and I told
- 00:23:25them the truth I told them I was in the
- 00:23:27Outer Banks and now a lo and behold
- 00:23:29tragically it turns out they've got a
- 00:23:30witness a false mistake and confused but
- 00:23:32sincere incredible witness who could
- 00:23:34testify that I was here at Virginia
- 00:23:35Beach now they're lucky to get a
- 00:23:37conviction because what they'll do I've
- 00:23:39just turned this cop and this woman into
- 00:23:41the government's star witness they'll
- 00:23:42put her held up put officer Brooke on to
- 00:23:43testify about how my client lied to him
- 00:23:45about being in the Outer Banks and then
- 00:23:47they'll put on this girl this the girl
- 00:23:48who otherwise would have not even helped
- 00:23:49with the case at all who will testify no
- 00:23:51that's not true that was a lie I saw mr.
- 00:23:53Dwayne's client here in Virginia an hour
- 00:23:55before the robbery not so far from the
- 00:23:57store by herself she would not have
- 00:23:58helped the government in any significant
- 00:24:00way but what I have just done you see is
- 00:24:02given them the other part of the puzzle
- 00:24:03and now I'm doomed just asked them I
- 00:24:08close I close with this example here we
- 00:24:11have a couple of recent celebrity
- 00:24:13examples of aya dish that even people
- 00:24:15who admit nothing
- 00:24:16always end up a denying it I mean sorry
- 00:24:18they always didn't end up regretting it
- 00:24:20on the Left we have Martha Stewart she
- 00:24:22was the victim the subject of an
- 00:24:23extensive government investigation that
- 00:24:25was looking into the possibility that
- 00:24:26she was guilty of violations of certain
- 00:24:28federal laws securities laws fraud kinds
- 00:24:30of things they couldn't pin that on her
- 00:24:32but they were able to in a conviction
- 00:24:34because she denied it talking to the
- 00:24:36police and leading someone for
- 00:24:37shareholders she said no it's not true I
- 00:24:38was not guilty so they charged with
- 00:24:40lying to federal investigators and they
- 00:24:42got a conviction and she was sentence to
- 00:24:43five months in prison Marion Jones on
- 00:24:45the right side another person who would
- 00:24:46still be out today if she had always
- 00:24:48taken the advice that I'm giving you now
- 00:24:50she was asked if she had ever used his
- 00:24:52steroids a controlled substance and
- 00:24:54instead of taking the fifth she said no
- 00:24:56I never took steroids when I won those
- 00:24:58Olympic gold medals
- 00:24:59later on it turned out that she was
- 00:25:00lying she worked out a blue deal so you
- 00:25:02pled guilty she admitted that she was
- 00:25:03lying and she over her strenuous
- 00:25:05tear-filled objection even though she
- 00:25:06has two young children was just recently
- 00:25:07sentenced to prison for six months the
- 00:25:10guy who sold her the stare rights the
- 00:25:11pusher he got only four months but she
- 00:25:13got six months because she lied to the
- 00:25:15police and said that she did not do it
- 00:25:16you see the problem Michael Vick who
- 00:25:18originally pled guilty as you know to
- 00:25:20these charges with respect to the
- 00:25:21operation of this dog combat sort of
- 00:25:24operation at his home at sentencing like
- 00:25:26many other criminal defendants even
- 00:25:27though he eventually pled guilty at
- 00:25:29sentencing one of the things that one of
- 00:25:31the reasons his sentence was a little
- 00:25:32harder than it might have otherwise been
- 00:25:33the judge said was because when he
- 00:25:35initially met with the police he lived
- 00:25:36them said I didn't do anything I didn't
- 00:25:38do it I don't know what you're talking
- 00:25:39about even guilty people but not only
- 00:25:42guilty people will always end up
- 00:25:43regretting talking to the police so my
- 00:25:47advice to you justice Jackson was right
- 00:25:49any sane competent lawyer in his right
- 00:25:51mind will always tell every client under
- 00:25:53all circumstances I don't care if you're
- 00:25:54innocent I don't care if it's the truth
- 00:25:55if it's the truth
- 00:25:56great we'll tell the jury all about it
- 00:25:58there'll be time enough to put our cards
- 00:25:59from the table but before we get there I
- 00:26:01haven't seen yet what the police got
- 00:26:02they may have missed
- 00:26:03and Confused witnesses who will
- 00:26:05contradict even the truthful stuff that
- 00:26:06you say we have no way to know no way to
- 00:26:09predict whether the information that you
- 00:26:10give them even if truthful and reliable
- 00:26:12will end up unwittingly dispelling our
- 00:26:15demise so keep your mouth shut don't
- 00:26:17answer any questions let's take the
- 00:26:19fifth you'll be glad that you did god
- 00:26:20Bless America god bless the blessed the
- 00:26:22Bill of Rights and the geniuses who
- 00:26:23bequeathed it to us but now in fairness
- 00:26:25I give equal time or what's left of
- 00:26:26equal time to a police officer who will
- 00:26:31explain to the extent to which if any he
- 00:26:33agrees or disagrees with anything I've
- 00:26:34got to say I didn't I have no idea to
- 00:26:36know what he's going to say but it'll be
- 00:26:37interesting here let me get in the
- 00:26:39microphone get let's give the hand off
- 00:26:42of the tourist group the Virginia Beach
- 00:26:44Police Department I cannot talk that
- 00:26:52fast
- 00:26:54not even interviewing I'm gonna take the
- 00:26:56podium here professor cuz I took notes
- 00:26:58on some of the things you said and
- 00:27:00everything he said was true
- 00:27:03okay and it was right and it was correct
- 00:27:06and I'm just gonna give you a few ideas
- 00:27:07I'm gonna tell you a few examples but
- 00:27:10first I'm gonna give you a little
- 00:27:12information as was said earlier I've
- 00:27:15interviewed thousands of people I've
- 00:27:16interviewed people with foreign Police
- 00:27:18Department's when I was in the Navy I
- 00:27:19was in law enforcement and I was a
- 00:27:21criminal investigator thank God we're in
- 00:27:24the United States because most
- 00:27:25interviews and Italy Spain and so forth
- 00:27:27start out physically okay there's no
- 00:27:30police police abuse over there they can
- 00:27:32do pretty much what they want any time
- 00:27:34they want any how they want so just be
- 00:27:37aware of that and be thankful for yet
- 00:27:39biggest question I was asked when I
- 00:27:40first I am a 3l and there's some of my
- 00:27:43classmates in here best days coming up
- 00:27:46May 10th when we get to leave so those
- 00:27:49of you that are applying and I told a
- 00:27:51couple of people this you think it's
- 00:27:52hard getting into law school try getting
- 00:27:54out okay couple of things I was asked
- 00:27:58how do I quit from getting speeding
- 00:27:59tickets very easy question quit speeding
- 00:28:01okay but something professor Duane
- 00:28:04brought up are any of you guilty of
- 00:28:07anything how many of you drove here
- 00:28:08today anybody go above fifty five on the
- 00:28:12interstate anybody drive at home and go
- 00:28:14above fifty five on the interstate
- 00:28:16because
- 00:28:17if you if you stake and there and there
- 00:28:34you go and people are inherently honest
- 00:28:36and that's their biggest downfall okay
- 00:28:37they really are or they want to tell
- 00:28:39their story and if you drive 55 on the
- 00:28:42interstate where it's 55 the only thing
- 00:28:44you're gonna do is meet the person
- 00:28:45behind you because they're gonna
- 00:28:45rear-engine you're gonna get run over
- 00:28:47okay so that's a fact but everybody does
- 00:28:49something that they can get in trouble
- 00:28:51for I can follow as a police officer I
- 00:28:52was uniformed I could follow a car
- 00:28:54however long I needed to and eventually
- 00:28:56they're gonna do something illegal and I
- 00:28:58can pull them over and justifiably
- 00:29:00illegal to pull them over so just be
- 00:29:02aware of that
- 00:29:03don't don't think you're so innocent in
- 00:29:05such a thing when you get stopped for a
- 00:29:08traffic ticket everyone likes to be
- 00:29:10somewhat honest and what's the first
- 00:29:12thing the police officer asked you do
- 00:29:14you know how fast you're going
- 00:29:15if the speed limits 35 you'll say oh 38
- 00:29:1940 because you want to be kind of honest
- 00:29:21even though you're doing 50 you just
- 00:29:24said 38 40 you just admitted to breaking
- 00:29:27the law you just confessed so they can
- 00:29:30go to court with that with a confession
- 00:29:31then you're exceeding the speed limit
- 00:29:33okay so think you need to think about
- 00:29:35those things and when you do become
- 00:29:37defense attorneys which I may who knows
- 00:29:40you need to think about those things for
- 00:29:42your clients the other thing you need to
- 00:29:44think about your clients and this is
- 00:29:46gonna seem very terse people are stupid
- 00:29:49your clients are stupid and I've had
- 00:29:51defense attorneys come to me matter of
- 00:29:53fact one on a motion to suppress just
- 00:29:56Tuesday come up to me and tell me his
- 00:29:58client was stupid okay
- 00:30:00they're very straightforward they do
- 00:30:03foolish things they talk to the police
- 00:30:05you got you guys need to be aware of
- 00:30:07that now in my past and it wasn't
- 00:30:12exaggerated I have interviewed thousands
- 00:30:14of people I have a I've arrested and
- 00:30:17dealt with over a thousand felony well
- 00:30:19actually more than a thousand felonies
- 00:30:21probably got 20 car yeah about a
- 00:30:24thousand fellows 2,500 misdemeanors 98%
- 00:30:27of a conviction rate eighty percent of
- 00:30:28them I don't even have to go to court
- 00:30:29why
- 00:30:31because there's confessions because they
- 00:30:33confess so these people have no problem
- 00:30:37the hardened criminals have no problem
- 00:30:39talking to the police people like to
- 00:30:41tell their story and they'll sit in that
- 00:30:44room and think about it you're picked up
- 00:30:47by the police you're in a little room
- 00:30:48there's one chair here there's a desk
- 00:30:50there's another chair what's the thing
- 00:30:52you want the most right at that point to
- 00:30:55get out of that room to be out of that
- 00:30:58room I think the police officers police
- 00:31:00officers shift is ending in 15 minutes
- 00:31:02does the police officer want to get out
- 00:31:04of that room my overtime rates 58
- 00:31:06dollars an hour do I want to get out of
- 00:31:08that room I have no problem I'll stay
- 00:31:10there for 10 hours I'll say I'll take
- 00:31:12that $600 okay so I have no motivation
- 00:31:15to want to leave you do and that's
- 00:31:17that's how we get you to try to talk I
- 00:31:19have my job my job is to develop
- 00:31:23probable cause develop a good case a
- 00:31:25great case is a case with a confession
- 00:31:28get it to the Commonwealth's Attorney so
- 00:31:32that they can prosecute the case with
- 00:31:34little if any effort and the
- 00:31:35Commonwealth Attorney's love those cases
- 00:31:37the little inny in the effort because
- 00:31:39they come with a stack of files that
- 00:31:40high in court every day so they love
- 00:31:43those cases that's my job the defense
- 00:31:45attorneys job is to hope they get to
- 00:31:47their client before I do and make sure
- 00:31:50they don't talk to me no matter what
- 00:31:53give you an example and this will go
- 00:31:55right along with what Professor Glenn
- 00:31:56was putting up his examples I had an
- 00:31:58interview that went something like this
- 00:31:59were you involved in the burglaries no I
- 00:32:02had nothing to do with them you didn't
- 00:32:04have anything to do it no you were in a
- 00:32:05car with all this stolen stuff in it
- 00:32:07yeah nothing do about know you knew it
- 00:32:10was there
- 00:32:10yeah okay now we got possession of
- 00:32:12stolen property felony okay but you had
- 00:32:14nothing to do with it no so what did you
- 00:32:17need the money for I had to pay some of
- 00:32:19my court costs from another thing I got
- 00:32:21in trouble for oh so he took the money
- 00:32:23from stealing the stuff I have enough to
- 00:32:25charge him now with burglary
- 00:32:26simple as that would you see the picture
- 00:32:29on that camera
- 00:32:30of the house with the Christmas
- 00:32:32decorations this is a real case scenario
- 00:32:34yeah did you go in that house no I
- 00:32:36didn't go into that one
- 00:32:41so there's ways around it there's ways
- 00:32:46to get around people who try not to talk
- 00:32:48to you
- 00:32:48and again as Professor Dwayne said if
- 00:32:52you wanted to go and say you wanted to
- 00:32:53go into a boxing match hundred dollars
- 00:32:55if you win you've never box before you
- 00:32:58have to face somebody who's an Olympic
- 00:33:00boxer you're going to lose you're gonna
- 00:33:04face somebody who's been interviewing
- 00:33:06people for in my case twenty eight years
- 00:33:09they're going to lose unless you're
- 00:33:12purely innocent now on the other side of
- 00:33:15it I don't want to put anyone that's
- 00:33:16innocent in jail but I try not to bring
- 00:33:20anyone into the interview room that's
- 00:33:21innocent and there are a couple that I
- 00:33:24have let walk away because they were
- 00:33:26innocent
- 00:33:27okay the interviews how do we approach
- 00:33:30the interviews there's a number way to
- 00:33:32approach interviews there's a number of
- 00:33:33types of people that I deal with first
- 00:33:35thing I do anyone know what they get
- 00:33:37told first when they're in an interview
- 00:33:39Miranda Miranda warning okay it's not a
- 00:33:44right you don't have a right to Miranda
- 00:33:46those rights have always been theirs
- 00:33:47called the Constitution you're just
- 00:33:48teaching you're doing a real quick class
- 00:33:50on the Constitution for these people
- 00:33:51usually they don't listen to it and this
- 00:33:54is the way I get my Miranda warning look
- 00:33:56I have to tell you this just pay
- 00:33:58attention okay
- 00:34:00they're usually sitting back or they're
- 00:34:01very attentive you have the right to
- 00:34:03remain silent
- 00:34:04do you understand that yes anything you
- 00:34:06say may be used against you in a court
- 00:34:08I don't have to say it will be I say it
- 00:34:09may be okay and they get that you have a
- 00:34:12right to an attorney and if you can't
- 00:34:14afford one one may be appointed to
- 00:34:16represent you got that you can decide
- 00:34:19not to talk quit talking to me at any
- 00:34:21time and exercise these rights you
- 00:34:22understand that
- 00:34:23sure now before I do the primary thing
- 00:34:28that's needed with those rights and
- 00:34:29that's to get a waiver I say now before
- 00:34:32you say anything let me tell you what I
- 00:34:35know and over all the time I've had to
- 00:34:38put together what this individual was
- 00:34:40supposedly involved and I don't say
- 00:34:42supposedly because professor doing
- 00:34:43sitting over there that this individual
- 00:34:46was involved in I will tell the story
- 00:34:48that I put together and it'll be pretty
- 00:34:51close to what happened
- 00:34:52and I can see that it's pretty close to
- 00:34:54what happened because that individual
- 00:34:56starts slumping down in their chair put
- 00:34:59their hand to their face doing this in
- 00:35:02their mind oh my god I'm going to jail
- 00:35:03forever okay and I can see it I said now
- 00:35:06that you know what I know do you want to
- 00:35:08talk to me and why do I do that because
- 00:35:12if I didn't do that is if I said you
- 00:35:15want to talk to me they'll say no so I
- 00:35:18give them the time to think about and
- 00:35:20then comes the next phrase now before
- 00:35:23you start talking to me let me tell you
- 00:35:25the difference between a lie and a truth
- 00:35:26if you lie to me and I get before the
- 00:35:29judge and I tell the judge that you were
- 00:35:31dishonest with me that's just not gonna
- 00:35:33make them happy but if I get before the
- 00:35:35judge and tell them you're honest
- 00:35:36straightforward willing to take
- 00:35:38responsibility for your actions that is
- 00:35:41going to help you that's not a lie
- 00:35:43though that is true in Virginia Beach
- 00:35:45courts it will help them you know they
- 00:35:48may not get five years they may get
- 00:35:49three years they're still going to
- 00:35:51prison or they're still going to have a
- 00:35:53felony but it will help them and then I
- 00:35:56have to determine what kind of person I
- 00:35:58have and there's two types there's the
- 00:36:00one like I mentioned to you earlier
- 00:36:01where I have to talk to him talk to him
- 00:36:05about different things get into their
- 00:36:09own skin as the word is and try and get
- 00:36:13them to talk to me and discuss things I
- 00:36:15had a sexual assault case I had to talk
- 00:36:18to the guy how hot the woman was and I
- 00:36:20understand where he was coming from and
- 00:36:22when that when I said that we were buds
- 00:36:24and he started talking to me and he's
- 00:36:27still sitting in prison okay
- 00:36:30so you've got to get in there and you
- 00:36:31got to go place the other side is I
- 00:36:33can't try and act like that individual
- 00:36:36acts okay I can't try and act like what
- 00:36:42we call lovingly a hood rat I can't try
- 00:36:45and act and talk like him because I'm an
- 00:36:50older white guy we don't talk like that
- 00:36:52and that would be an insult and you
- 00:36:55can't insult people it doesn't matter
- 00:36:57who they are it doesn't matter where
- 00:36:58they grew up
- 00:36:59it doesn't matter where they're from you
- 00:37:01can't insult people like that you have
- 00:37:03to be yourself so you have to get in
- 00:37:05into there
- 00:37:05mindset in the way they're thinking and
- 00:37:07have a discussion with him the other
- 00:37:10type of person is the one that likes to
- 00:37:12tell story this young man great man I
- 00:37:15love him to death he didn't go to jail
- 00:37:16because I went to bat for him because I
- 00:37:18felt sorry for him he was a newlywed he
- 00:37:20was having money problems
- 00:37:21former Marine I said tell me what
- 00:37:24happened and he told me this beautiful
- 00:37:26story about what happened what he had
- 00:37:29done is he had sold a piece of equipment
- 00:37:30that his ex-employer had had that he had
- 00:37:33stolen told me the beautiful story of
- 00:37:35what happened about him finding it on
- 00:37:37the side of the road and all that kind
- 00:37:39of stuff
- 00:37:40Dameon question about him after he
- 00:37:43finished his whole story very unwell the
- 00:37:46very beautiful story i sat there and
- 00:37:47listened to it for 15 minutes I looked
- 00:37:50and I said you stole the stuff from your
- 00:37:52boss didn't you yes sir I did
- 00:37:53I had nothing I really had nothing
- 00:37:59except the fact that he had sold it so
- 00:38:02there's those those types of people and
- 00:38:04then the third type the one who tries to
- 00:38:06be the hood who tries to be the criminal
- 00:38:07who cries like a baby when they walk
- 00:38:09into jail but when they're on the street
- 00:38:11there is tough tough as rocks you go in
- 00:38:13there with your paperwork you sit down
- 00:38:15and you just start doing paperwork and
- 00:38:17usually have a videotape sitting on top
- 00:38:19of it just for measure so they think I
- 00:38:21have a videotape and you just sit there
- 00:38:25don't tell them Miranda just sit there
- 00:38:28and wait for them to start talking
- 00:38:29because they will they want to talk
- 00:38:32people want to communicate they hate
- 00:38:33silence that's why when people speak you
- 00:38:37hear hmm when they're talking because
- 00:38:40they need to fill that void with
- 00:38:41something people hate silence so that's
- 00:38:44the other one so that's another way so
- 00:38:46so you see how there's an unlevel
- 00:38:48playing field here even with with the
- 00:38:50most educated individual there's an
- 00:38:51unlevel playing field if you talk to the
- 00:38:54police everything's gonna be written
- 00:38:55down if you get pulled over for it for a
- 00:38:57ticket they give you the ticket and you
- 00:39:01pull off you ever see the cop pull off
- 00:39:03right after you usually not that's
- 00:39:05because on the back of their ticket
- 00:39:07they're writing down everything you said
- 00:39:09and it's gonna come into court if you go
- 00:39:13to court
- 00:39:14everything that said I write down every
- 00:39:17phone call I make has to have a
- 00:39:20listening device on it is that illegal
- 00:39:23how many parties need to know that a
- 00:39:25phone conversation in Virginia is being
- 00:39:27recorded one me I know is recorded I get
- 00:39:33many many confessions over the phone
- 00:39:39okay back to the people yes they're
- 00:39:42stupid okay people are stupid I had a
- 00:39:44young man who told me straight up I'm
- 00:39:47going to college I'm going to law school
- 00:39:51I'm too smart you'll never find out what
- 00:39:54happened okay he was going to Tidewater
- 00:40:00Community College the law school of I
- 00:40:02suppose Tidewater Community College he
- 00:40:06was the partner to the one who I told
- 00:40:08you interview about just a little while
- 00:40:10ago where I would ask him what he needed
- 00:40:12the money for he was his partner and he
- 00:40:14was very smart so he thought he thought
- 00:40:19he was a very intelligent individual I
- 00:40:21ended up arresting him five times out of
- 00:40:24his house his mother hated me she liked
- 00:40:26me the first time she apologized she
- 00:40:28didn't really like me much the second
- 00:40:30time it got to the point where she
- 00:40:31really hated me after that he's doing
- 00:40:33eight years upstate he's very smart
- 00:40:35because he decided to tell me how smart
- 00:40:38he was and in telling me how smart he
- 00:40:41was he let it slip that he doesn't sell
- 00:40:43stolen stuff to pawnshops he sells it to
- 00:40:46flea markets because they do not have to
- 00:40:47report to the state I know how to drive
- 00:40:51to a flea market just as good as anyone
- 00:40:53else and go look for stuff that I'm
- 00:40:55looking for so he was trying to impress
- 00:40:59me with his ability to be smarter than I
- 00:41:01was and he confessed
- 00:41:05so people are inherently stupid
- 00:41:09especially criminals now and don't get
- 00:41:12me wrong there are some very intelligent
- 00:41:13criminals out there and most of them
- 00:41:16work in really big office buildings in
- 00:41:18for suits
- 00:41:20yep she went to jail is she hurting no
- 00:41:24but there are some very intelligent
- 00:41:26Street criminals out there as well to
- 00:41:28get other people to do their bidding and
- 00:41:29so forth and so on and people are afraid
- 00:41:31to turn on them but there are some very
- 00:41:34foolish people just a couple of other
- 00:41:37things I do a thing usually with younger
- 00:41:40people usually between the age of I try
- 00:41:43not to deal too much with juveniles but
- 00:41:45between the age of 16 and and 25 is once
- 00:41:49they've talked to me now let's back up a
- 00:41:52little bit you don't need a recording in
- 00:41:55court for a statement as Professor
- 00:41:57Dwayne said it's his word against my
- 00:42:00word if he was a defendant number one
- 00:42:03and this is the way it works and this is
- 00:42:06the way the real world works in case you
- 00:42:08guys haven't been out there that's out
- 00:42:10beside the windows out there the jury
- 00:42:12looks at a defendant sitting next to a
- 00:42:14Pross defense attorney that's strike one
- 00:42:18because the jury is already looking at
- 00:42:20that song as that being someone who did
- 00:42:22something that put them in that chair
- 00:42:24number two they get a uniformed police
- 00:42:27officer up there they get someone
- 00:42:29wearing a suit as a detective up there
- 00:42:31that is a professional witness that's
- 00:42:34strike two so now they have a
- 00:42:37professional witness against them and
- 00:42:39then if they've confessed and that
- 00:42:40professional witness is going to sit
- 00:42:42there and read from his or her notes the
- 00:42:44confession that's strike three go get
- 00:42:47your orange jumpsuit do not pass go do
- 00:42:50not collect $200 so they have all this
- 00:42:52trikes again and I know you're innocent
- 00:42:54till proven guilty but it's a jury of
- 00:42:56your peers and the perception is if
- 00:42:58you're sitting next to a defense
- 00:42:59attorney you have to prove you're
- 00:43:01innocent
- 00:43:02and that's that's just the perception of
- 00:43:04a lot of the jury no matter how many
- 00:43:06jury instructions they get they still
- 00:43:08perceive that person is a hoodlum
- 00:43:09is a criminal and no matter how hard
- 00:43:13some defense attorneys try to put their
- 00:43:14clients in suits and have them sit up at
- 00:43:17the table if the trial is a long trial
- 00:43:20they fall back to their old ways and
- 00:43:22they start acting and speaking in a way
- 00:43:25that's not very good for their case so
- 00:43:29saying that you don't have to have a
- 00:43:31recording myself
- 00:43:32crushin hearing a statement was trying
- 00:43:34to be suppressed because when I record a
- 00:43:36confession or an interview because we
- 00:43:39don't do interrogations the police
- 00:43:41we do not do interrogations that's a bad
- 00:43:44mean Nazi kind of word okay we do
- 00:43:47interviews okay you'd be amazed how much
- 00:43:51difference it makes when you use that
- 00:43:52one one-word advice is interrogation
- 00:43:55I'll take it off the tape and I'll have
- 00:43:58my secretary put it to paper me till
- 00:44:01afterwards I'll take that tape and I'll
- 00:44:03scan it over my magnet throw it in my
- 00:44:06box so I can use it again I do not keep
- 00:44:08the tape it is not evidence it's not
- 00:44:10required to be evidence it is there if
- 00:44:13it's there for the court it's just extra
- 00:44:15you don't have to have that but it's
- 00:44:19really good to have the suppression
- 00:44:20hearing he tried to suppress that after
- 00:44:22I testified the defense counsel stood up
- 00:44:24and says well judge I really don't have
- 00:44:26anything to say and the judge judge
- 00:44:28Canada said motion denied and let's move
- 00:44:31on and go to court so you don't have to
- 00:44:32have recordings you don't have to have
- 00:44:33videotapes the police videotapes that's
- 00:44:36just extra if you've got that police
- 00:44:37officer sitting there test fun you don't
- 00:44:38have to have that videotape you got the
- 00:44:40guy that was right there to tell you
- 00:44:41what happened but it's always nice to
- 00:44:44have those extra things and what I do
- 00:44:45for these young people is I'll say look
- 00:44:48the person who you broke into their
- 00:44:51house are very upset they're very angry
- 00:44:53because you sold their stuff to the
- 00:44:54pawnshop pawnshop stuff sold them they
- 00:44:57don't get their stuff back they're very
- 00:44:59angry they want you to go to prison okay
- 00:45:03they may be very angry they want you to
- 00:45:05go to prison they may want to to lessen
- 00:45:08that that's the start of what's commonly
- 00:45:12known as a lie because we are allowed to
- 00:45:14lie in interviews to lesson that you
- 00:45:17might want to make them happy and the
- 00:45:18reason that's why is because when it is
- 00:45:20a felony in Commonwealth of Virginia the
- 00:45:22victim has nothing to do with the
- 00:45:23prosecution or how long do people go to
- 00:45:24prison or any of that kind of stuff
- 00:45:26we're prosecuting them not to victim but
- 00:45:30to lessen that what I'd like you to do
- 00:45:32is write an apology letter to the person
- 00:45:35whose house you broke into just write it
- 00:45:39out and well how do I write it in your
- 00:45:41own words just right you know I'm sorry
- 00:45:42for what I did then say that you know
- 00:45:44when I broke into your house
- 00:45:45the other night whatever they ride it
- 00:45:49out they sign it I sign as a witness I
- 00:45:52put the date in the time that it was
- 00:45:53written I give it to the Commonwealth's
- 00:45:55Attorney it's entered as evidence as a
- 00:45:57written confession in the person's own
- 00:46:00handwriting
- 00:46:02I don't type it up again and have them
- 00:46:03sign it in their handwriting a written
- 00:46:06confession is that person going to get
- 00:46:08convicted I have never seen him not get
- 00:46:10convicted on that on an apology letter
- 00:46:14so in support of Professor Dwayne
- 00:46:17everything he says is right that's what
- 00:46:19I do
- 00:46:20now to take away the support I don't try
- 00:46:24and send innocent people to jail that's
- 00:46:27it that's all I have any questions or
- 00:46:29anything like that sir
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