Saul Kassin

It corrupts informants. It corrupts, believe it or not, forensic examiners, forensic science examiners. When you look at wrongful convictions in the Innocence Project involving confessions, almost 80% of them contained one or more other errors in evidence, and almost invariably those other errors came after the confession.

He worked for AutoZone. He'd been there for a year. He was aspiring to become a manager. And one of the tasks he had was he would take money from the store, and when the bank truck came, he would deliver the money to the truck. And one day, $820 showed up missing. And the AutoZone had a loss prevention manager.

He worked for AutoZone. He'd been there for a year. He was aspiring to become a manager. And one of the tasks he had was he would take money from the store, and when the bank truck came, he would deliver the money to the truck. And one day, $820 showed up missing. And the AutoZone had a loss prevention manager.

He worked for AutoZone. He'd been there for a year. He was aspiring to become a manager. And one of the tasks he had was he would take money from the store, and when the bank truck came, he would deliver the money to the truck. And one day, $820 showed up missing. And the AutoZone had a loss prevention manager.

Loss prevention managers are folks in charge of a retail outfit, whether it's Macy's or Walmart or AutoZone. And they're empowered to try and recover the loss from theft of money and merchandise. So in the middle of his workday, he was called in by the loss prevention manager and interrogated. He said, you know what, $820 is missing. It looks like you did it. It looks like you took the money.

Loss prevention managers are folks in charge of a retail outfit, whether it's Macy's or Walmart or AutoZone. And they're empowered to try and recover the loss from theft of money and merchandise. So in the middle of his workday, he was called in by the loss prevention manager and interrogated. He said, you know what, $820 is missing. It looks like you did it. It looks like you took the money.

Loss prevention managers are folks in charge of a retail outfit, whether it's Macy's or Walmart or AutoZone. And they're empowered to try and recover the loss from theft of money and merchandise. So in the middle of his workday, he was called in by the loss prevention manager and interrogated. He said, you know what, $820 is missing. It looks like you did it. It looks like you took the money.

And Robles said, I didn't do that, and I wouldn't do it.

And Robles said, I didn't do that, and I wouldn't do it.

And Robles said, I didn't do that, and I wouldn't do it.

And Robles looked at the choices and he said, well, I don't really want to involve police. What do I have to do? And he wrote a confession dictated to him in which he said, I took the $820. We had family debts to clear. I'm sorry. And he signs his name. And then he signs a promissory note in which he's agreeing to have that money deducted from his paychecks to compensate AutoZone.

And Robles looked at the choices and he said, well, I don't really want to involve police. What do I have to do? And he wrote a confession dictated to him in which he said, I took the $820. We had family debts to clear. I'm sorry. And he signs his name. And then he signs a promissory note in which he's agreeing to have that money deducted from his paychecks to compensate AutoZone.

And Robles looked at the choices and he said, well, I don't really want to involve police. What do I have to do? And he wrote a confession dictated to him in which he said, I took the $820. We had family debts to clear. I'm sorry. And he signs his name. And then he signs a promissory note in which he's agreeing to have that money deducted from his paychecks to compensate AutoZone.

He signs it, the money is deducted, and he is promptly terminated. A couple of weeks later, it turns out that the $820 was not lost. It was a clerical error, and no money was stolen. But it was too late. He had already been terminated. His reputation had been tarnished. When Robles was asked, why did you agree to sign the confession and give the money?

He signs it, the money is deducted, and he is promptly terminated. A couple of weeks later, it turns out that the $820 was not lost. It was a clerical error, and no money was stolen. But it was too late. He had already been terminated. His reputation had been tarnished. When Robles was asked, why did you agree to sign the confession and give the money?

He signs it, the money is deducted, and he is promptly terminated. A couple of weeks later, it turns out that the $820 was not lost. It was a clerical error, and no money was stolen. But it was too late. He had already been terminated. His reputation had been tarnished. When Robles was asked, why did you agree to sign the confession and give the money?

He said, quite simply, it was worth $820 to keep my job. He figured it was going to keep a job. And so he signed the confession.

He said, quite simply, it was worth $820 to keep my job. He figured it was going to keep a job. And so he signed the confession.

He said, quite simply, it was worth $820 to keep my job. He figured it was going to keep a job. And so he signed the confession.

Well, for starters, those sessions should be fully recorded. so that you and I, a prosecutor and a judge and a jury, can watch it later and understand for ourselves how that came about. Two, it's not a question of the pressure that is felt. Some of the most benign interrogators, investigative interviewers in Europe, for example, they apply pressure to suspects. But here's the important part.