Or they are inadmissible in court. They are touting this as a great victory for cops and prosecutors. I see an upside for the arrestees, myself. Those who just exercise their 5th amendment rights and remain silent till a lawyer is present will come out on top. It could well cut down on instances of intimidation and the like. It will alos make it harder to force confessions.
From the Star
From the Star
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Supreme Court has imposed a rule that will prohibit a criminal suspect’s statements taken during police station questioning from being used as evidence unless it is electronically recorded.There are some exceptions to the rule, such as statements made during routine booking or when the suspect doesn’t agree to be recorded. The rule will apply to statements made after Jan. 1, 2011.
The court said today that the rule change is aimed at helping police, prosecutors, judges and juries in their search for justice.
Indiana Public Defenders Council director Larry Landis says similar rules exist in many states. He said it would improve the quality of decision-making by judges and juries and could lead to more convictions because there will be better evidence of confessions.