Anticipating a second edition of the Confessions manual in the near future, we have begun thinking about improvements other than merely updating the law. So far, the plan is to add a chapter on interrogation methods and practices and another on false confessions/recantations. If there are additional topics to incorporate or other ideas we need to address, please let us know. You can post here, email, or call.

jstride@co.collin.tx.us
972-548-4323

Juvenile Interviews, Statements and Confessions. I am not familiar with the current edition, so if this is already covered I apologize.

Currently, Chapter 4 addresses juvenile confessions. As these are merely a variant of confessions generally much of the remainder of the manual applies too. It would be great to get some specific comments though.

Greg generously offered to provide his material gathered in a Tarrant County false confession case. If anyone else has some research material or transcripts collected in a particular confession case and would like to share them, please advise. If they are used, we will be more than happy to properly credit you.

[This message was edited by John Stride on 01-06-06 at .]

Rudy, thanks for your interest. The juvenile confessions/statements issue is also covered in another TDCAA publication, "Juveniles," that came out in summer 2005.

We'd sure love to know if there are subtopics that you'd like to see covered in the area of juvenile statements/confessions for either book, "Confessions" or "Juveniles," when we update them.

We are close to wrapping up the 3rd edition of the Confessions manual for publication later this year. Over the last four years there has been significant case law, which will be incorporated. But if you have any suggestions or issues that you would like to see addressed, please post on the forum or email me as soon as possible.

On page 89, the header reads "Exceptions to the Warrant Requirement" while the header on pages 87 and 91 read "Oral Confessions."

Well done. You win the prize for finding the deliberate header mistake. I forget what the prize is though.

Thanks, David,

Well, it's such a comprehensive book, it's hard to come up with anything other than minor suggestions.

Joking aside, all corrections and any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks to Chip Wilkinson, who has already written a couple of excellent ethics books for TDCAA, there will be a brand new chapter on the ethics of obtaining and using confessions.