Tonya and PQBON's WebLog
St. Paul Pioneer Press | 07/17/2006 | Lights, camera, confession
Eyes closed and head swaying, George Griller tells detectives he didn't kill the man police dug up in his back yard. I couldn't have, he claims, I'm blind. But when investigators leave the room, Griller opens his eyes, pulls a paper from his pocket and begins reading.
A video camera captures Griller's interrogation-room blunder. Jurors later convict him of second-degree murder.
In most states, prosecutors would never get their hands on such a tape. That's because it wouldn't have existed.
But police throughout Minnesota record in-custody interviews, a practice stemming from a 1994 state Supreme Court decision. At first, police and prosecutors lamented the ruling, predicting it would keep bad guys from confessing.
Now, more than a decade into mandated recording, those same critics are lauding the practice. Taped interrogations have not only proved valuable at trial, they have helped Minnesota authorities avoid accusations of forced confessions and investigative misconduct.
"It's the best tool shoved down our throats," said St. Paul police Cmdr. Neil Nelson. "We went kicking and screaming."
Posted by pqbon at August 9, 2006 5:05 PM