"You have the right to remain silent..."

[p35]

No, I didn't read the article. If there was a third party there, that person should have pointed out the physical evidence.

Do you think someone could talk you into falsely confessing to being a child molester? As I pointed out in my original post, a bunch of people who didn't think so either went through all the excitement of surviving prison with a "chester jacket" because someone did.

Say you tell the same story to the initial officer and then to the detective. No one records the initial questions; if they want it on record, they will do a formal recording later. One of the officers, totally honestly, hears/recalls the details differently than the other, and maybe you don't get all the details exactly the same. As soon as they compare notes, you, my friend, are lying to the police.

Ever shoot competitively? Remember trying to hit a paper target with ten shots in ten seconds? I know I was pretty fumble fingered the first few times I tried it, with nothing at stake. That's nothing compared to the aftermath of a gunfight. There may be people who can tell a coherent story or just say "he attacked me" and shut up, just as there are people who can fire a revolver faster than an auto can cycle. For 99+% of the population, though, the safest course is to imitate a clam.

 

[Tim Burke]

I suspect it is a lot easier to talk your way into jail than it is to talk your way out of it.

 

[FPrice]

p35...

"No, I didn't read the article."

Once again I challenge you to do so and give us your take on that particular situation.

"Ever shoot competitively?"

Yep. Ever jump out of the back of an airplane in fright (and in flight) at 20,000' at night and try to keep track of several other jumpers so you don't open up in each other's canopies?

Your comparison of a challenging physical activity to an emotionally charged situation doesn't hold much water. People can train to meet challenges. But telling someone they can't do something enough times can lead to them thinking that they can't and become a self-fulfilling prophesy. I didn't say it was easy.