Criminal Justice: Wednesday

[famous-gut.livejournal.com]

Gibbs breezed into the classroom just as the bell rang. "Sit," he ordered everyone in the classroom. "No talking."

He took a long sip of coffee as he waited for the class to settle in. "Last week you 'caught' the bad guy. Today we talk about interrogation. There's two categories of interrogation. The first category is strictly about gathering information. Here you interview everyone. Friends. Family. Co-workers. If the damn cat can talk, you get a statement. When you do this pay attention to their answers. Ignore nothing. Someone uses a funny word choice? Make a note of it. Someone makes an off-hand comment? Note it. After you're done with these interviews? Verify everything. Why? Because people lie and usually they're pretty crappy about covering it up."

He took a breath and another couple of gulps of coffee. "The other type of interrogation is the kind you always see in cop shows. When you have evidence on a person of interest you get him or her and bring him into a room. Then you let that person sit and stew for a bit. Unless the person is a sociopath, this is usually the best way to loosen 'em up. Then you go in and you be intimidating. You're not the friendly guy with notepad taking a statement. You have evidence. You line it up in front of him. You tell him you think he's guilty and you nail him to the wall with it. Doesn't matter if the evidence is shaky. He doesn't know that. Even if that person isn't guilty he or she might let loose a bit of information that'll help with the case. If you make them cry and they are innocent? Too bad. The case is what matters."

Gibbs then gestured at his students. "Pair up. Time to see what you got and if you paid attention."

[Wait for the OCD is up]

Comments

Interrogate

[famous-gut.livejournal.com]

"Pick a side," Gibbs said putting down a set of six cards. If you are the interviewer you have have three cards to choose from."

He held them up to see. On them were written "DNA", "Financial Records", "Eyewitness identification".

"Pick two of those cards. Those are what you brought the person in on. If you are the one being interviewed then you choose one from these cards."

The cards read "Innocent, Innocent but you know something about the case, Guilty."

"You know the three suspects we have for the case," Gibbs continued. "The stalker, the guy who took pictures of the victim, and the guy's girlfriend. Pick a role and make things up as you go along."

Re: Interrogate

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

Worf frowned at the card he picked. He did not like the idea of being guilty. At. All.

Re: Interrogate

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Rose's idea of interrogation was punching someone until he gave up the goods. She was trying to bear in mind that that probably wasn't what the teacher was looking for.

She approached Worf, trying to loom as much as someone so short could. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't throw you in jail forever right now!"

Re: Interrogate

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

"I cannot. I am guilty," Worf replied. "So I belong in jail or executed for my crimes."

That brought an irritated sigh from the instructor. "Worf! You're supposed to hide the fact you are guilty."

"Why would I bring further dishonor by doing that?" Worf asked.

"Just do it!" Gibbs ordered.

"I am innocent," Worf said with an irritated scowl. "If you wish to challenge me on my claim you must be prepared to do battle."

"WORF!"

"Provide evidence," Worf grumbled.

Re: Interrogate

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Rose didn't mean to start laughing, but her pretending-to-be-stern facade cracked as laughter bubbled up. It took a moment to remember what she was supposed to do.

"I have a witness who saw you leaving the scene of the crime!" She argued. "You killed her."

But Worf's sulking was too funny and she started snickering again.

Re: Interrogate

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

Worf crossed his arms and scowled. "Just because I was in the vicinity does not make me guilty," he replied. "Your premise and Witness's logic is not sound."

Re: Interrogate

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Rose contained herself and looked down at her card. "So you think there were many tall men hanging out in the women's bathroom?"

Re: Interrogate

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

"Nothing is impossible," Worf replied. "Perhaps someone thought it was the men's room. And is tall."

And has head ridges.

Re: Interrogate

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"You're a very, um, distinctive man," Rose argued. "And the witness has perfect vision. You're going to jail."

Re: Interrogate

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

"No," Worf said stubbornly. "You cannot make me."

Re: Interrogate

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"Damn straight, I can," Rose said, crossing her arms. "All I have to do is bring in the lady to identify you and the crying family, and the jury is going to send you to jail. Might as well admit it now, save us all the trouble."

Hopefully she would have been better at this if she'd used her fists.

Re: Interrogate

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

"I don't think so," Worf replied. "Eyewitness testimony is unreliable. Bring your crying family but I admit to nothing."

Worf would welcome a fistfight compared to the questioning.

Re: Interrogate

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen read her card. Innocent, but she knew something about the case. Interesting.

Re: Interrogate

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah grabbed DNA and Financial Records, then looked around for someone to interrogate.

Re: Interrogate

[famous-gut.livejournal.com]

"Pick one Lance," Gibbs called out.

Re: Interrogate

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Wincing, Dinah put down the Financial Records and nodded. "Okay!"

Re: Interrogate

[trigons_child]

Why look, there was someone waiting to be interrogated. Raven waited, serene and entirely innocent.

Re: Interrogate

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Please state your name for the record," Dinah said, hanging onto the DNA evidence, and wondering which of the three suspects Rachel was going to decide to be.

Re: Interrogate

[trigons_child]

"My name is Rachel Roth," Raven said. "And I assure you, I have done nothing wrong."

Re: Interrogate

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"And I assure you, we have DNA evidence that gives you ample motive to kill Ms. Kerr," Dinah said as firmly as she could. "Did you know she was pregnant?"

Re: Interrogate

[trigons_child]

"Yes, she told me she was with child," Raven said, hoping she was playing along correctly. "She was very excited about it."

Re: Interrogate

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Were you equally excited that your boyfriend was the father?" Dinah asked quickly, even though the DNA test couldn't reveal that yet.

Re: Interrogate

[trigons_child]

Raven had to pause to think how to react to that question. The fact that she didn't have a boyfriend seemed the obvious choice, but she embellished the story a little. "We were not compatible," she said. "He was no longer my boyfriend. He was free to do as he wished."

Re: Interrogate

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"So she did inform you of the father's identity," Dinah said, pouncing on the implication.

Re: Interrogate

[oops-mbad.livejournal.com]

Diana plucked out an "Innocent but you know something about the case" card and sat around waiting for a partner.