John Reid and Associates Files a Defamation Lawsuit:

On December 18, 2024, John Reid and Associates, Inc. (“Reid”) filed a civil lawsuit for money damages against James L. Trainum in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Complaint filed by Reid is attached and alleges that Trainum defamed Reid by making false statements about Reid’s product, the “Reid Technique” method of questioning subjects of criminal investigations.

Reid is the author of the Reid Technique, a copyrighted product, that Reid has made available and taught for many years to law enforcement agencies, military police, and other investigative institutions in the United States and throughout the world. The Reid Technique is a lawful, highly respected, and successful method of interrogating subjects of criminal investigations. Reid publishes numerous articles and books on the Reid Technique and Reid’s professionals teach it and conduct seminars with Reid’s clients who include police departments and branches of the armed forces.

Trainum is a consultant and has been an expert witness for hire by clients who contend that they have been the victims of false confessions. Trainum has made public statements on the subject of false confessions.

Reid’s lawsuit against Trainum alleges that he was the source of and made false statements about the Reid Technique that were published in articles. The lawsuit alleges that Trainum’s statements were made or repeated in an article published on July 24, 2024 in the Detroit Metro Times and entitled "A Detroit Detective Terrorized Young Men Into Making False Confessions. Some Are Still Behind Bars”. The article is a story about the arrest, confessions, prosecutions, and imprisonment of young men whose convictions were overturned because of abusive tactics of law enforcement officers. Trainum is featured in the article and the Reid lawsuit alleges that he falsely stated that the Reid Technique was used in the interrogations and condoned the abusive tactics that included wrongful confinement during unreasonably long periods of interrogation together with false promises of leniency if subjects confessed. The lawsuit underscores that the Reid Technique does not teach or condone such tactics and that Trainum knew the statements were false or recklessly disregarded the truth.

Another article mentioned in the lawsuit was published on January 17, 2024 by Cascade PBS Media and is entitled “Amanda Knox Testifies In Olympia For Stricter Interrogation Laws”. Trainum is mentioned in the article as is the Reid Technique. The lawsuit alleges that false statements made by Trainum or repeated from him in the article include those equating the Reid Technique with excessively long interrogations and false promises of leniency if subjects confess. The lawsuit alleges that Trainum knew of the falsity of the statements or recklessly disregarded the truth.

It is well-known that the Reid Technique teaches that false confessions are caused by:

• Physical abuse of the subject

• Threats of physical harm

• Threats of inevitable consequences

• Promises of leniency

• Denial of rights

• Denial of physical needs

• Excessively long interrogations

• Disclosure of crime details

• Failure to properly take into account the subject’s mental limitations and/or

psychological disabilities

• Failure to properly modify approaches with socially immature juveniles

• Failure to properly corroborate confession details

Reid teaches that the best way to avoid false confessions is to conduct interrogations in accordance with the guidelines established by the courts, and to adhere to the following Core Principles and Best Practices:

• Do not make any promises of leniency

• Do not threaten the subject with any physical harm or inevitable consequences

• Do not deny the subject any of their rights

• Do not deny the subject the opportunity to satisfy their physical needs

• Withhold information about the details of the crime from the subject so that if the subject

confesses the disclosure of that information can be used to confirm the authenticity of the

statement

• Exercise special cautions when questioning juveniles or individuals with mental or

psychological impairments

• Always treat the subject with dignity and respect

• Conduct an interview before any interrogation. Absent a life-saving circumstance the

investigator should conduct a non-accusatory interview before engaging in any

interrogation

• Conduct an interrogation only when there is a reasonable belief that based on the

investigative information the suspect committed the issue under investigation or is

withholding relevant information

• Attempt to verify the suspect’s alibi before conducting an interrogation

• When interrogating a non-custodial suspect, do not deprive the suspect of his freedom to

leave the room

• Do not conduct excessively long interrogations

• Electronically record the interview and interrogation to establish a record of what was

done and said

• The confession is not the end of the investigation.

Following the confession, the investigator should investigate the confession details to establish the authenticity of the subject’s statement, develop corroborating information, and attempt to establish the suspect’s activities before and after the commission of the crime.

Reid intends to vigorously prosecute the lawsuit against Trainum.