Why the Reid Technique is so Successful

Nov 16, 2024

One of the primary reasons that the Reid Technique is so successful in helping investigators resolve criminal investigations and to secure an acknowledgment of guilt from the offender is that the process...

Preparing to Testify in Confession Cases Parts One and Two

Oct 30, 2024

Preparing to Testify in Confession Cases (Parts One and Two)

In Part One of this Investigator Tip we will highlight the content of an article written by Attorney Deja Vishny *...

The Reid Technique is a Non-confrontational, Non-accusatory Process

Sep 09, 2024

Oftentimes defense attorneys, social psychologists, academicians, and members of the media describe the Reid Technique as an accusatory process, and they should (and many do) know better.

Over 55 years ago John...

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...

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:

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...