Appellate star John Stride from Collin County is feverishly working on a book on confession law in Texas for publication in summer 2004. I'm attaching the working table of contents for your consideration and review.

We'd love any comments or questions you have about the book's contents. Please e-mail me (beckham@tdcaa.com) or post any topics you'd like to see covered in the new book. Or use this forum to post any confessions-related questions for John, TDCAA staff, and all other interested people to ponder. Your question and its answer may find its way into the new confessions book! (Which should get you, at the very least, your very own TDCAA window decal!)

I would suggest an apppendix with forms for a written confession and one for the exact warnings needed for a videotaped interview of a person in custody. It would be wonderful to have a "statewide" form that is correct instead of some old ones that never seem to change because they have always been used. Some police agencies order confession and warning forms from out-of-state and they have the correct Miranda warnings but do not have the correct Art. 38.22 warnings!

Thanks for the suggestion. Consider it done.

It would probably help many smaller jurisdictions if you included specific forms and guidelines for juvenile cases.

I'll see if I can put something together. Standardized forms and procedures would really help.

Meanwhile, if anyone has any forms or written procedures they employ when obtaining juvenile (or adult) confessions--especially if unique in some way--please share them. It would be worthwhile to include a selection, or at least ideas from them, in the book.

My address: 210 S. McDonald, Ste 324, McKinney, Tx 75069