Lecture on Brendan Dassey's Case and False Confessions

Introduction

Speaker: Steve Drizen, Assistant Dean of the Bloom Legal Clinic and Co-Founder of the Clinic Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth.
Purpose: Discussing Brendan Dassey's case as portrayed in the Netflix series “Making a Murderer.”
Main Objective: Break down Brendan Dassey's confession and why his legal team considers it coerced and false.

Dean Daniel Rodriguez: Strong supporter of the clinic.
Legal Team Members: Tom Geraghty and Bob Dvorak: Recognized for their contributions.
Filmmakers of “Making a Murderer”: Mora Demos and Laura Ricciardi acknowledged for their storytelling.

Part 1: Drizen and Laura Nirider will dissect the interrogation of Brendan Dassey.
Part 2: Panel discussion moderated by Judge Michael K. Brown, including Bob Milan and Dr. Antoinette Kavanaugh.
Special Performance: Song by SMD and The Underground.

Context: Brendan Dassey, at 16, was interrogated and confessed to aiding his uncle Steven Avery in the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach.
Interrogation: Brendan's confession is argued to be coerced and false, leading to a wrongful conviction.

Myth 1: It is obvious when a confession is false.
Myth 2: Only physical abuse causes false confessions.
Myth 3: Only juveniles or individuals with mental limitations falsely confess.
Reality: False confessions are detailed and often sound believable. They are obtained through psychological tactics rather than physical abuse.

Misclassification Error: How the wrong person ends up in the interrogation room.
- Behavioral analysis during initial interviews that wrongly assesses truthfulness based on body language and verbal cues.
Coercion Error: Psychological pressure tactics used during the interrogation.
- Techniques involving false evidence, minimization, and confrontation.
Contamination Error: Specific facts are fed to the suspect.
- Fact-feeding through leading questions and other means.

Misclassification: Brendan's responses and demeanor misinterpreted as deceitful.
Coercion: Use of the omniscient ploy, suggesting the officers know everything and demanding Brendan's “truth.”
Contamination: Fact-feeding, e.g., feeding key details about the crime to Brendan.

Impact on Brendan: His naivety and miscomprehension of the interrogation process, thinking he could go back to school after confessing.
Parental Pressure: Brendan's mother was not present, and police misled her about the seriousness of the situation.

Legal Battles: Attempts to suppress Brendan’s confession, appeals in state courts, and ongoing efforts in federal courts.
Flaws in Legal Representation: Discussion about ineffective assistance of counsel, particularly regarding kachinsky's conduct and defense strategy.

Electronic Recording: Mandate recording of all interrogations to ensure transparency.
Alternative Techniques: Adoption of non-confrontational approaches like the PEACE technique (used in the UK).

Public Defender’s Role: Importance of resources and expertise that public defenders can offer in complex cases.
Required Legal Representation: Necessity for legal representation rather than relying on parental presence during interrogations.

Dr. Antoinette Kavanaugh: Importance of forensic psychological evaluation in understanding a juvenile's comprehension during interrogation.
Bob Milan: Emphasis on collaboration between prosecutors and defense attorneys in wrongful conviction cases.
Audience Questions: Discussion on why parental presence is not enough and the roles of attorneys in juvenile interrogations.

Gratitude: Thanks to various supporters and organizers for making the event possible.
Call to Action: Encouragement to support the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth in their advocacy and litigation efforts.