What If I Made An Involuntary Confession?

Involuntary confession. Coerced confession. False confession. You may have heard it under different names, but the meaning is the same. An involuntary, coerced, or false confession is a confession that you make against your self-interest. It is when you confess to a crime that you did not commit. Once you make this confession, it is difficult—almost impossible—for a jury to believe that you aren’t guilty of the crime. Even if there is evidence that may exonerate you or raise a reasonable doubt, repeated studies on psychology reveal that people have a hard time believing that someone could confess to an unlawful act for any reason other than actual guilt.

If you’ve given an involuntary confession, you should contact The Justice Firm immediately. We have provided outstanding legal guidance and assistance to countless Los Angeles residents. You can trust us to always put your best interests first. This includes taking the reins and remedying the matter if you were unlawfully coerced into making a false confession against yourself.

Involuntary Confessions

Police officers make more than 10 million arrests a year. Following an arrest, you’re taken to the police station, where you’re interrogated. The most serious offense to be questioned about is first-degree murder. For this offense, many interrogation tactics might attempt to coerce you to confess to something you didn’t do. Before going any further, we want to make it clear that the law permits officers to lie to you during interrogation. They can say whatever they want in hopes that you’ll confess and make their jobs easier.

For example, officers can tell you that they found your DNA on the dead body, even if there’s no DNA link whatsoever. Officers can tell you that they have witnesses who said they saw you do it, even if there are no such witnesses. Other officers will continue to berate and yell at you for hours until you confess. Sadly, this means that closing a case can be more important than convicting the right person.

Proving It Was Involuntary

The biggest question jurors will ask is, “Why would anyone confess to something they didn’t do?” People can give false confessions when they’re under more pressure than they know how to handle. Sometimes, you’ll give a false confession because you just want to go home, and you believe that the evidence will prove you’re innocent anyway. The interrogation process can influence you to believe that confessing is in your best interest. Our skilled lawyers will work to get the judge to see that your confession was coerced.

Common factors that a judge will review to decide whether a confession was involuntary are:

• your age
• your familiarity with interrogation
• your experience with law enforcement personnel
• your education (i.e., whether you have a degree, how high a degree you have etc.)
• your mental capacity
• how long you went without food and drink
• how long the interrogation was

Contact A Capable Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer

Don’t assume that making an involuntary confession is ever in your best interest. Don’t try to convince officers any further. Instead, avoid talking to law enforcement personnel unless your lawyer is present. Consulting with a capable Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer ensures that you know what evidence the state has against you, who’ll be brought to testify against you, whether there’s evidence that can exonerate you or, in the least, raise a reasonable doubt that you’re guilty of the charges.

You can rely on the defense lawyers from The Justice Firm. Review our results from our team of highly decorated involuntary confession experts. We look forward to representing you and getting you a result that’s favorable to your goals, reputation, and liberty. For your convenience, we offer a 24/7 live answering service. You may call us toll-free at 866-695-6714 or locally at 310-914-2444. To schedule a free consultation, you may also fill out our contact form here.

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