You are a city court judge. You are hearing a case in which the defense is arguing to suppress the statements of the juvenile defendant. The defense claims that the police officer compelled her client to incriminate himself. The police officer testified that he read the rights directly from the standard card used by the police department. You then asked the officer if he said anything to the suspect that may have compelled him to talk. The officer answers that all he said was "I decide if you get to go home tonight or stay in jail, so you better cooperate with me."

Question: Should the defendant's statements be admissible based on the officer's testimony?

What If Scenario:

You are a beat officer and get called to a small convenience store to investigate a shoplifting. Upon arrival you find out the suspect is a 12-year-old male who tried stealing a comic book. The storeowner does not wish to prosecute the suspect, but he felt that calling the police would make a lasting impact on the juvenile and hopefully change his ways.

Question: Explain your options and the course of action you would likely take.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

In the first scenario the defendants statements may not be admissible The statement made by the poli... View the full answer