Truly False Confessions

This program offers attorneys an examination of the various factors that can contribute to a false confession. Attorneys will develop a nuanced understanding of why innocent individuals may confess to crimes and how such confessions create complex constitutional and procedural issues. False confessions are a significant cause of wrongful convictions, and it is essential for attorneys working in criminal law to understand why and how false confessions happen, and also to know the legal protections for defendants who have falsely confessed.

The program will analyze the most relevant constitutional amendments and state and federal court cases that have formed the bedrock of the law on false confessions. Attorneys will learn about practices and tactics used by law enforcement officials to elicit false confessions, including strategic deception, false evidence ploys (FEPs), and minimalization and maximalization tactics. The program will also highlight some high-profile cases where false confessions were obtained to illustrate how false confessions occur in the real world, and it will offer potential safeguards against false confessions.

Attorneys with any amount of experience and interest in false confessions and the law are encouraged to attend. The program will be beneficial for prosecutors, law enforcement legal advisors, defense counsel, and law clerks.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review of Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendment interrogation rights.
2. Recognize police interrogation tactics that may lead to a false confession from an adult.
3. Examine the legal issues concerning juvenile interrogations and why youths may be more susceptible to providing false confessions.
4. Discuss when Miranda protections are to be afforded to suspects, as well as the United States Supreme Court’s standard for juveniles being in “custody.”
5. Discuss high-profile adult and juvenile confession cases.
6. Learn about potential safeguards for limiting false confessions.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Central Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Mountain Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Pacific Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Alaska Time: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Saturday, January 17, 2026
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026