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Interview Technique Assessment

"You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

When you read a deposition, statement or watch a video statement, does the investigator or attorney do all the talking?  What kind of questions is the witness asked?  Does the witness reveal intricate details or general knowledge?

Interview and interrogation techniques have been developed and refined over the past 50 years and have become very effective.  The majority of the police officers today are trained in the Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation that is taught by John E. Reid and Associates, Inc. of Chicago, IL.  This technique teaches skills in preparation recognizing verbal and non verbal (body language) behaviors and the appropriate steps needed to conduct effective interrogations.  Even those agencies that conduct their own interview and interrogation training draw heavily upon this method.

The goal of any interview is to gather accurate and reliable information.  But what happens when there is a question as to whether your client's words are his own or those of others?  Understanding the process employed during the interview process can often assist in your understanding.

FCA can examine audio or video statements to determine the method used and assist in determining whether there were any indications that the investigator supplied, lead or assisted in the statement of your client.

An examination of the processes employed and the actual statement may assist in the preparation to court challenges regarding admissibility issues.

Testimony regarding interview techniques is a relatively new facet to the legal community.  As in consent searches, testimony should include information on the basics of police interrogation, the means by which they should be conducted and how the interviewer's role can play a part in the overall credibility of the statement or interview.