Forensic psychology: false
confessions, false memories and more
Go over handout from last class
(Albert’s case)
complete it together as a class (if
students have not already completed
it)
Lesson #5 & #6 Learning
Objectives
• Understand tactics police use to obtain false
confessions from innocent victims
• Analyze how police and detectives were able
to obtain false confessions from the Central
Park 5
• learn about Elizabeth Loftus’ work on the
reliability of eyewitness testimony
Who are the Central Park 5?
In 1989, five black and Latino teens — Korey
Wise, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Raymond
Santana, and Kevin Richardson — were
wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the
brutal assault and rape of a 28-year-old
Caucasian female jogger in Central Park.
Despite the lack of solid evidence, all five boys
were ultimately found guilty of various charges of
rape and assault in the Central Park Jogger
case. This was mostly due to the false
confessions the five boys made when they were
threatened, harassed, and beaten by detectives.
Despite the lack of DNA and eyewitness
evidence linking the boys to the crime, the jury
found it hard to believe that the “confessions”
were forced. They believed the boys were guilty.
In fact, most people cannot understand why an
innocent person would confess to a crime that
they did not commit. Most people believe that
you confess because you are guilty.
But no one sees what
happens during those long
interrogations with the
detectives…
How to extract a confession
1) Confront them with
“evidence” against them
*it is legal for police to lie to suspects
How to extract a confession
2) Give them a reason for
committing crime
How to extract a confession
3) Make it look like anyone
would have done it (“with your
situation, it’s not surprising
you did it!”)
minimize the seriousness of
crime
How to extract a confession
4) Keep their attention on
them
5) Do not let them assert their
innocence
6) Counter their explanations
How to extract a confession
7) Act compassionate; say
you are on their side and are
their friend
How to extract a confession
8) Continually press to
confess: emphasize
“evidence;” threaten with
consequences; say sentence
will be reduced with
confession.
*this part is also illegal
How to extract a confession
9) Make person write and sign
their confession
What about coercive tactics?
• depriving the defendant of food, water,
or use of the bathroom
• threats (although threats to carry out the
law, such as threatening to arrest a
codefendant, are usually fine)
• promises of leniency
• kicking, striking, or otherwise getting
physical with the suspect, and
• interrogating the suspect at gunpoint.
What about coercive tactics?
• depriving the defendant of food, water,
or anuse of the bathroom
• threats (although threats to carry out the
are
law, supposed
such to to
as threatening make
arrest the
a
confession
codefendant, are inadmissible
usually fine) in
• promises of leniency
court
• kicking, striking, or otherwise getting
physical with the suspect, d
• interrogating the suspect at gunpoint.
What happened to the Central
Park 5?
What happened to the Central
Park 5?
Watch from 23:00-45:00 mark [20 minutes]
Any questions?
