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Interrogation Length

The Effect of Interrogation Length and Perceived Crime Seriousness on Confession Decisions

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Abstract:

This research tested whether an interrogation’s length and a crime’s perceived seriousness influenced the extent to which suspects made short-sighted confession decisions. Participants (N = 118) were questioned about 20 criminal and unethical behaviors and were required to admit or deny each. Admissions and denials were paired with either a proximal or distal consequence. Results showed that the tendency for the proximal consequence to influence admissions more strongly than the distal consequence was greater during the second half of the interview than during the first. Moreover, this tendency was greater for less serious than more serious crimes....

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The Length Of Interrogation – How Many Hours Are Too Many?

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Length of interrogation is one factor to consider in the totality of circumstances

In this case, Moore v. Curtin (November 2010) the defendant claimed that his confession was not voluntarily made because he was subjected to three days of intensive interrogations which drove him to the point of emotional and physical exhaustion, and that he suffers from mental illness, which made him vulnerable to psychological coercion. The US District Court, E.D. Michigan, Southern Division, disagreed, stating:

"The state courts' findings and conclusions are supported by the record. Petitioner was thirty-six years old at the time of his interrogation, and he had earned the equivalent of a high school diploma. He had three prior convictions, and he was advised of his constitutional rights before each interview. He waived his rights according to the undisputed testimony of the officers, and he was not physically punished, nor deprived of food or sleep....

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