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Forensic 2

Resources

Based on the Class 2 lecture materials and Chapter 3 of the textbook, here is the summary.

Important

  • The Reid Technique – The professor emphasized that students must know this technique thoroughly for the exam, specifically the three stages and the psychological tactics used in “Stage 3” (accusatorial interrogation),.
  • Coercive Strategies in Practice – It is important to note that contrary to media portrayals, overtly coercive strategies (like threats or denying rights) are statistically rare in actual police interrogations, while tactics like flattery are common,.
  • Admissibility Case Law – Students should be familiar with R. v. Oickle (2000), which established that while overt coercion is inadmissible, subtle psychological coercion is generally acceptable in Canada,.
  • Guest Lectures – Attendance is strongly recommended for upcoming guest lectures (Dr. Lindsay Healy on mental illness and Professor Marinus on juries) as the material covered will be relevant for the exam,.
  • Midterm Policy – A specific makeup midterm is scheduled for the Monday night following reading week for those with legitimate reasons to miss the original date.

Core Concepts

  • Police Interrogations: A process whereby the police interview a suspect with the primary goal of obtaining a confession, which is viewed as powerful evidence in court, and a secondary goal of gathering investigative information,.
  • Rights Upon Arrest: In Canada, suspects must be informed of the reason for arrest, the right to silence, and the right to counsel; approximately 80% of suspects waive these rights, often because they do not fully understand them or believe they can outsmart the police,,.
  • Investigator Bias: A form of confirmation bias where an interrogator enters the session presuming the suspect is guilty, leading them to ask leading questions, use more pressure, and ignore evidence of innocence,,.
  • Mr. Big Technique: A covert Canadian interrogation strategy where undercover officers pose as gang members to lure a suspect into a fictitious criminal organization, eventually demanding a confession to a past crime as a sign of loyalty or insurance,.
  • False Confessions: A phenomenon where individuals confess to crimes they did not commit; types include voluntary (no police pressure), coerced-compliant (to escape stress or gain a benefit), and coerced-internalized (suspect believes they committed the crime due to suggestion),,.
  • Criminal Profiling: An investigative technique used to identify major personality and behavioural characteristics of an offender based on an analysis of the crimes they have committed, often used to prioritize suspects,.
  • Inductive vs. Deductive Profiling: Inductive profiling predicts offender characteristics by comparing the crime to similar past cases (statistical), while deductive profiling infers characteristics based on evidence left at the specific crime scene (logical),,,.
  • Geographic Profiling: An analysis of crime scene locations to determine the most probable area of offender residence, relying on the assumption that offenders live close to where they operate (distance decay),.
  • Detecting Deception: Research indicates that police officers are often no more accurate than the average person at detecting lies (often performing at chance levels) but are significantly more confident in their judgments,.

Theories and Frameworks

  • The Reid Model: A nine-step accusatorial interrogation method relying on minimization (soft sell/sympathy) and maximization (scare tactics/intimidation) to break down a suspect’s resistance,,.
  • PEACE Model: An interrogation framework (Planning, Engage, Account, Closure, Evaluation) that prioritizes neutral information gathering and fairness over the accusatorial pursuit of a confession,.
  • Organized-Disorganized Model: An FBI profiling typology that categorizes offenders based on crime scene evidence; “organized” scenes suggest a methodical, intelligent offender, while “disorganized” scenes suggest an impulsive, socially incompetent offender,.
  • Circle Hypothesis: A geographic profiling theory proposing that an offender’s home is likely located within a circle defined by the two farthest crimes in a series.

Notable Individuals

  • Saul Kassin: A researcher whose work demonstrated that interrogators with “guilty expectations” use more coercive pressure and ask more leading questions,.
  • John E. Reid: A former police officer and polygrapher who developed the widely used Reid Model of interrogation.
  • Jim Smyth: The police officer who interrogated Russell Williams; the interview is cited as an example of effective psychological tactics blending elements of Reid and PEACE models.
  • James Brussel: A psychiatrist who created a famous (and largely accurate) profile of the “Mad Bomber” in New York City in the 1950s,.
  • David Canter: An investigative psychologist who founded the “investigative psychology” approach to profiling and criticized the lack of empirical support for FBI methods,.
  • Ernesto Miranda: The defendant in the US case that led to the “Miranda Rights” requirement, ensuring suspects are aware of their right to silence and counsel,.
  • Kurt Luther: A Canadian researcher noted for his work on the comprehension of legal rights and police cautions,.
  • Nelson Hart: The defendant in R. v. Hart (2014), a Supreme Court case that limited the admissibility of confessions obtained via the “Mr. Big” technique due to reliability concerns,.