Videotaping of interrogations pushed by Oklahoma Justice Commission
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT NewsOK.com
Saturday, March 02, 2013
3/02/13 at 7:41 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY - State lawmakers should pass legislation requiring law enforcement agencies to videotape all interrogations with suspects of violent and serious crimes, according to a report released Friday by a group that spent two years reviewing wrongful convictions in Oklahoma.
"We were surprised to find that 27 percent of the 301 wrongful convictions we studied involved false confessions that were made by suspects during investigation of the crimes," said former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, who was chairman of the Oklahoma Justice Commission.
"Those were the kinds of things we've attempted to redress - instances where a common factor existed and practical ways to prevent future error."
Edmondson said the commission, made up of law enforcement officers, lawmakers, victims' advocates and defense attorneys, hopes that law enforcement agencies will voluntarily start videotaping interrogations involving suspects of violent crimes.
Original Print Headline: Interrogation-taping urged
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Chairman Drew Edmondson: "If the wrong guy is in prison, that means the guy who really did it is out on the street."
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