Assignment 7B- Video Review
Assignment 7B- Video Review
Police interrogations and false confessions have been an issue in the system of law and order. It is not news that innocent people have been sentenced to prison for crimes they never committed. Several factors have affected this decision by the police and law enforcement agencies. In the case on “PBS Confessions,” the story of the Norfolk Four has become notorious and highlighted in the phenomenon of false confessions.
The video encased the 1997 crime of the murder and rape of Michelle Moore Bosco, a housewife in Norfolk, Virginia (Foundation, 2010). She was alone in her apartment when someone came in, and the bedroom was a chaotic mess as someone raped her then stabbed her to death. Her husband, who was in the Navy, came home one afternoon only to find her dead in the bedroom. He rushed to his neighbor, Daniel Williams who called the police. After a few hours, he was called in for interrogation. What seemed like a few minutes turned into hours when the detectives framed Daniel and held him responsible for the murder and rape. They said he was fixated on her and had wanted to pursue her for a long time. Daniel was a newly married man. However, they still accused him. In spite of the constant refutations, he was bludgeoned with accusations by Detective Ford, an impressionable man, known to spill out confessions from people (Foundation, 2010). He forced Daniel to confess Michelle’s murder. He also said he had accomplices and named a man in the navy. Joe Dick was the next suspect who also had to undergo hours of interrogation after which he caved in under the pressure and gave a false confession. He also named another man from the navy whom he said was involved in the murder. Derek Tice was then involved in the murder case as well. Under the pressure and
accusations, he also confessed. He named a fourth accomplice, Eric C. Wilson. Eric tried his best to resist, but he also confessed to a crime he never committed. Meanwhile, the case was lined with polygraph tests which failed to tell they were lying instead they were still held for investigation. Even their DNA results did not match the forensic reports of the crime scene, yet they were sentenced to prison until they could go to trial. Meanwhile, the detectives brought in three more people into the case, making it a gang rape and murder. The lawyers appointed by them also failed to realize that these men were telling lies only to escape the psychological horror of the interrogation. No evidence was found against them except for the fact that they had recorded their confessions on tape, and when presented to the jury, they were pleaded guilty (Foundation, 2010). Along the way another convict in jail, Omer Ballard was found linked to the case, where he directly confessed he had killed Michelle in her apartment. Omer was serving a life sentence in jail, and this confession made him the 8th offender on the list. Although he openly confessed and told the authorities that he acted on his own, the rest of the four prime suspects were not released because of the confessions. They had to serve their time in prison and afterward, live with the title of registered sex offenders. However, Detective Ford was investigated against and found guilty of extortion charges. The case became an example of the misuse of authority and fear of the police instilled in the minds of the people who would say anything to escape the death penalty. Even when found innocent, they are helpless and have to live as pariahs in their own country (Foundation, 2010).
In an article titled “False confessions: causes, consequences and implications,” the author writes how hundreds of falsely accused prisoners are convicted by the police due to false confessions. Firstly, a confession when made brings upon an impact on the people concerned (Frontline, n.d.).
the pressure of pleading guilty or innocent. A false confession leads to disastrous psychological impacts and a lot of guilt to the defendant. A confession also leads the case to be closed by the police without carrying out any further investigation. There need to be reforms and amends made to the system whereby more documentation and awareness amongst individuals regarding their rights in the trial and confession needs to be provided, so they do not end up giving any false confessions. The most immediate consequence of a false confession is the conviction of an innocent person (Frontline, n.d.).
Another article titled “Truth about False Confessions” states that in research conducted, over 25% of the exonerated individuals gave false confessions. Moreover, when voluntarily beaten or given a harsher treatment, the accused would give in and record a false confession. This is especially true of the weaker and emotional convicts who cannot bear the brunt of the interrogation (Frontline, n.d.).
Also, another article discussed the issues behind and related to false confessions. False confession cases have received a lot of attention lately due to the rampancy of false confessions. This has led to the state of the police and investigative authorities regarding the details of the crime scene, the attention to details, the people involved and the mistakes made during the investigation which needs to be learned from. The process of interrogation is also important because it needs to be considered from a point of view of the accused (Frontline, n.d.). Sometimes the threats are too violent, and the death penalty is echoed too many times which can baffle a sane person. This increases the chances of giving a false accusation.
References
Foundation, W. E. (2010). The confessions - false confessions & Interrogations. Retrieved June
12, 2016, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-confessions/false-confessions-and-interrogations/
Frontline, W. E. The confessions. Retrieved June 12, 2016, from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-confessions/
