Ask For An Attorney

I have sometimes wondered about a fairly common sequence of events. A terrible murder takes place. The police arrest a likely suspect, and he confesses. At his trial, the suspect retracts his confession, but that impresses nobody and the jury convicts him. The judge gives him 50 years. Ten years later DNA evidence proves the convict innocent. Why did he confess? Why does that keep happening?

In the December 9, 2013, NEW YORKER, Douglas Starr explains why it occurs, enlightening people like me. Back in the 1950s a polygraph expert named John Reid invented a system of questioning that relentlessly pushes a suspect into confessing. That method has been adopted around the world. If you would like to learn this carefully structured and effective method, you can, today, sign up with Reid & Associates in Boston for the basic training course.

I don't have space here to describe the method, but you have seen it on LAW AND ORDER and so forth. It works. The only problem with it is that it leads to a confession, not to the truth. Keep John Reid in mind. If you get arrested, the first thing to do is ask for an attorney. After that, say nothing.