Contesting Confessions: Opinions of Expert Witnesses

A confession is a crucial factor to address in mounting a competent criminal defense, making expert witnesses in this field an important resource for attorneys. While there is a strong base of research on false confessions, there is little such research and no formal guidelines in the way to most effectively proffer this information. Through structured interviews with 20 expert witnesses, we probed their processes, recommendations, and common challenges they encounter challenging confession evidence. Based on their feedback we offer recommendations, present new research hypotheses, and discuss the need for expert witnesses to identify best practices and standardize the profession.