CIVILIAN COURT-MARTIAL DEFENSE LAWYERS: Recording Interrogations - A Critical Analysis

Military Criminal Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney) News:

Here is a link to a NY Times article critically assessing the benefits and cautionary explanations regarding recording interrogations:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/opinion/videotaped-confessions-can-be-misleading.html?_r=1

A more complete treatment of police interrogations is found in Dr. Richard A. Leo's book: Police Interrogation and American Justice.  (pictured above)  

Unfortunately, not all military service branches required law enforcement investigative interrogations to be recorded.  This allows criminal investigators to be the last word regarding what occurred behind the closed door of the interrogation room.  If the military justice system does, in fact, seek to arrive at "justice," all criminal interrogations - and pretext phone calls - must be recorded.  When can it ever be argued that justice is better served by inaccurate, incomplete, and biased accounts of interviews that aren't recorded?  

For more information on military law, military justice cases, and court-martial trials, please see:

http://militaryadvocate.com/Appearances/

http://militaryadvocate.com/military-offenses/

http://militaryadvocate.com/Practice-Areas/

By: Attorney Richard V. Stevens
Civilian criminal defense lawyer and military defense lawyer
Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C. http://www.militaryadvocate.com

Blog postscript: Attorney Frank J. Spinner and I (attorney Richard V. Stevens) are former active duty military lawyers (JAG). Our perspectives and advice, therefore, are based upon our experience as military defense lawyers and as civilian criminal defense lawyers practicing exclusively in the area of military law and military justice. This blog addresses issues in military law, military justice, military discipline, military defense, court-martial practice, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and other military and/or legal topics. Nothing posted in this blog should be substituted for legal advice in any particular case. If you seek legal advice for a particular case, please contact The Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens and The Law Office of Frank J. Spinner for a free consultation. These military defense law offices are located in Northern Florida (Pensacola, Ft Walton, Destin, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Duke Field, Panama City, Tyndall AFB areas) and Colorado Springs, Colorado (FT Carson, Peterson AFB, Air Force Academy, Schriever AFB, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Buckley AFB areas), but our military defense law practices are worldwide – we travel to wherever our clients are stationed or serving and need us.