Understanding a confession.
An in-depth resource on false confessions.
A CLE Dr. Simpson has provided for the State Bar of Arizona and the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office.
A confession needs to be understood in the context of how it was obtained. These materials explore how interrogation pressure, suggested information and a person’s vulnerabilities can shape an account, including the distinction between agreeing to a statement and coming to believe it. Research on memory, intellectual disability and Miranda comprehension sits alongside comparisons of questioning methods and courtroom examples. Together, they give attorneys context for examining both the interview process and the weight a confession may carry with jurors.
Interrogation and Miranda
Compares interrogation with investigative interviewing. Miranda materials examine warning comprehension, language and culture, placing testing alongside records and questioning circumstances.
Memory and suggestibility
Gudjonsson materials explain leading questions and pressure to change answers. Scales support assessment; they do not establish truthfulness.
Individual vulnerabilities
Intellectual disability and autism research examines interview pressure and communication. Findings vary across individuals; diagnosis alone does not explain statements.
