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Confessions that corrupt: evidence from the DNA exoneration case files
Saul M Kassin1, Daniel Bogart, Jacqueline Kerner
1Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10019, USA. skassin@jjay.cuny.edu
Psychological Science
|December 20, 2011
Summary
False confessions can taint other evidence, leading to wrongful convictions. This study found that false confessions in DNA exoneration cases were often accompanied by other errors, like flawed forensic science.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Forensic Science
- Legal Studies
Background:
- Psychological research indicates confessions may contaminate other evidence, creating a false sense of corroboration.
- This phenomenon, observed in laboratory settings, needed validation in real-world legal cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the 'corruption hypothesis'—that confessions taint other evidence—applies to actual cases.
- To analyze archival data from DNA exoneration cases to identify patterns of evidence contamination.
Main Methods:
- Archival analysis of DNA exoneration cases from the Innocence Project.
- Comparison of evidence errors in cases involving false confessions versus eyewitness misidentification.
Main Results:
- False confession cases were significantly more likely to contain multiple evidence errors compared to eyewitness cases.
- Common accompanying errors included invalid forensic science, faulty eyewitness identifications, and informant testimony.
- In cases with multiple errors, confessions were frequently the initial piece of evidence obtained.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the 'corruption hypothesis' in real-world legal contexts.
- The study suggests the problem of confession-tainted evidence may be underestimated.
- Implications exist for legal standards regarding pretrial corroboration and the 'harmless error' principle on appeal.
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