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Comment by echelon | Hacker News Reader

> as a result you say "I dont really recall..maybe I got a soda from there and dont remember?" [...]

> today that statement would be used to show that you couldve been there (because you said so yourself).

They can use "I don't remember" ?

Isn't the whole point of interrogation to get a suspect to make conflicting statements, then pressure them when the statements don't line up as a means to get a confession?

Why is this a bad thing? If this tool goes away, couldn't conviction rates plummet (for eg. violent crimes)?

I'm having trouble seeing an ethical problem here?

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> They can use "I don't remember" ?

They absolutely can, and will use that in a court of law. Any comment that you make that seems completely fine from your perspective can quickly be turned around to lock you up.

I highly recommend checking out this lecture when you get a chance: https://youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE

Police are not generally concerned with getting the right person, they're just concerned with getting a person.

Blackstone's Ratio: "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstone's_ratio

Which has about zero to do with actual reality.

The reality in the US is if you want re-elected you better be tough on crime, which means people going to jail. No one seems to give a shit if the people that committed the crime are going to jail, as long as someone is found guilty.

No they care. They make sure that the people doing the crimes remain free to abuse the innocent. Hint: it's the police and politicians (and their buddies) committing a lot of the crimes.

> Why is this a bad thing? If this tool goes away, couldn't conviction rates plummet (for eg. violent crimes)?

Even if they do, the real question is whether false convictions will plummet more than true convictions. There are an awful lot of people who "confessed" to crimes didn't commit.

“You might as well admit you did $x, we have your fingerprints at the scene. We might go lighter in you”.

This is when they don’t have fingerprints.

Do you want confessions or justice?

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