Investigator Tips
Current Investigator Tip
The Reid Behavior Analysis Interview: Part 1: Do the Case Facts and Evidence Support the Subject's Story? Part 2: The Interview Structure and the Value of Behavior Symptom Analysis
Aug 21, 2024
The Reid Behavior Analysis Interview
Part 1: Do the case facts and evidence support the subject’s story?
The most important element in evaluating a suspect’s potential culpability in committing a crime or...
Previous Tips
Richard Leo's Boilerplate Statement Regarding Police Interrogation Practices
Jun 26, 2024
The following is the "boilerplate" position taken from various statements, publications and testimony of Richard Leo regarding police interrogation practices.
The Social Psychology of Police Interrogation
Police interrogation is a...
Is offering a suspect a moral or psychological excuse for committing the crime the same as offering them a promise of leniency if they confess?
Jun 03, 2024
Social psychologists and other law enforcement critics suggest that during interrogation if the investigator offers the subject a moral or psychological excuse for committing the crime, it is tantamount to making a...
“I did it”…. is that a valid statement of guilt?
May 29, 2024
The purpose of an interrogation is to learn the truth. In most instances, this consists of the guilty suspect telling the investigator what he did regarding the commission of the crime under...
Based on Court Decisions What Can an Investigator Say During an Interrogation?
May 01, 2024
In one of our prior Investigator Tips, Interrogation and Confession Judicial Decisions Organized by Subject Matter, we included a section entitled, Court decisions re appropriate/permissible investigator statements. Here are a few...
Responding to a False Confession Expert in Your Case
Apr 09, 2024
Oftentimes the defense will present a "false confession expert” to testify that the investigator obtained a coerced and/or false confession. We have published a number of articles describing the type of statements...
Limitations of Eye Witness Testimony
Mar 18, 2024
In our legal system, judges, attorneys, juries and witnesses diligently strive to uphold ethical standards, best practices, and to stay informed of court and legislative decisions that impact the judicial process. Despite...
Interrogation of Hamas-Inspired Terrorists
Dec 19, 2023
During his Congressional testimony on December 5, 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated “Given the steady drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since October 7, we’re working around the...
What Do False Confession Experts Say in Their Reports?
Nov 28, 2023
The following represents the type of observations, assessments and opinions Dr. Richard Leo (and other social psychologists) offer/include in their reports and testimony when they are acting on behalf of the defendant...
A Closed Claim is a Good Claim
Nov 27, 2023
The saying in the insurance claims business is, “A closed claim is a good claim”. In the race to get to the finish line, we sometimes take shortcuts that can cost costly...
Persuasion Tactics for Migrants Committing Crimes
Nov 07, 2023
According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), “There were more than 2.8 million migrant encounters from January through August, 2023.” (USA Today, September 30, 2023).
Furthermore, CBP Chief Raul Ortiz said there...
How do you respond to false confession experts presented by the defense? (updated Nov '23)
Oct 20, 2023
Over the years we have received a number of emails that have stated essentially the following:
I am an investigator with the (agency name). A few years ago a coworker and myself...
The Disingenuous Testimony from Social Psychologists About the Reid Technique
Jul 11, 2023
Richard Leo, and other false confession experts (oftentimes social psychologists), have testified that “there is a consensus in the scientific community that the techniques taught by the Reid method sometimes lead to...
A General Outline of Richard Leo's Testimony on False Confession Issues and Reid Responses
Jul 05, 2023
A General Outline of Richard Leo’s Testimony/Followed by Reid Responses
The following are examples of the testimony Richard Leo has made in a number of cases and our responses to his statements.
...Reid Policy on the Use of Deception During an Interrogation
Jun 26, 2023
Reid Policy on the Use of Deception During an Interrogation
Preface
There is a distinction between a court of law and the court of public opinion. In recent years several states have...
What False Confession Experts Say About the Reid Technique and Our Responses
Jun 16, 2023
The attached document, "What False Confession Experts, Defense Attorneys and Academicians Say About the Reid Technique and Our Responses," includes the following topics:
The Purpose of an Interrogation"Guilt Presumptive" ProcessHow Social Psychologists...Clarifying Misrepresentations About Interrogation Techniques (updated May 2023)
May 19, 2023
Over the years social psychologists, defenses attorneys, and some academicians have
offered a number of criticisms of current law enforcement interrogation practices, and, in
particular, the Reid Technique. Some of...
Iowa Supreme Court - Use of Deception Did Not Negate the Defendant’s Waiver of Miranda Rights
May 02, 2023
State of Iowa v. Gowun Park, Iowa Supreme Court, No. 21-0756, January 27, 2023.
SUMMARY
The court in this case noted that the our legal system tolerates some deception...
The Reid Technique: International Research and the Value of Behavior Symptom Analysis
Apr 27, 2023
Part One: International Research Validates the Core Elements of the Reid Technique
Over the years numerous international research studies have been conducted on the Reid Technique – here are a few that...
The Courts: Acceptable Investigator Interrogation Behaviors
Apr 25, 2023
The Courts: Acceptable Investigator Interrogation Behaviors
Over the last 20 years we have published numerous court decisions on interrogation issues in an effort to keep our audience up to date...
The Courts: Unacceptable Investigator Interrogation Behaviors
Apr 20, 2023
The Courts: Unacceptable Investigator Interrogation Behaviors
Over the last 20 years we have published numerous court decisions on interrogation issues in an effort to keep our audience up to date with...