# Re: What can the police lie about while conducting an interrogation?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-what-can-the-police-lie-about-while-conducting-an-interrogation/778800
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [February 2, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-what-can-the-police-lie-about-while-conducting-an-interrogation/778800 "2017-02-02T02:58:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 25

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### Author: ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2017, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-what-can-the-police-lie-about-while-conducting-an-interrogation/778800/25 "2017-02-09T16:12:28Z")

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> [@Jim\_B](#):
>
> Well, I just have to reiterate, the book _definitely_ said police sometimes elicit a confession under false plea deals. Read the book, if you don’t believe me. (The book covers a lot of deep topics, but it written like on a 5th grade level. You can probably read the whole thing in 5 minutes. I’m serious.) And again, this was over 20 years ago, at that.
> 
> I don’t know how they could get away with it, either. But you know, some areas of the country are much more conservative than others. And, I can’t provide a cite, but it is a well-known fact, that some lower court judges sometimes go to the beat of their own drum, a little. It is theoretically impossible. But who’s going to stop them? Judges have life-long appointment, with little oversight.
> 
> Just something I thought I would throw out there. (Now please carry on with the rest of the discussion:).)

Just because you are a judge does not mean you have a lifetime appointment. In fact that is very rare.

I don’t have to read your book I do it for a living. I know what is and isn’t allowed in my state and all interviews have to be recorded. I clearly state that states can be more restrictive than the Supreme Court mandates. That was my entire point. You can’t make blanket statements about what the police are allowed to do because it is different depending on which state.

> [@eschereal](#):
>
> The opposite question: I heard it somewhere that it is a crime to lie to the police. While it seems like a pretty bad idea, can you be prosecuted for making false statements during questioning?

Again laws differ from state to state but it depends on the lie. For instance lying and saying you didn’t do it wouldn’t be a crime. Lying and giving information that someone else committed the crime could be. So is lying about your identity to avoid arrest.

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