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Is Chicago the "False Confession Capital"? Feds Investigating Cases

December 11, 2012 07:52:36 am

Chicago may be the nation's "false confession capital," says CBS News's "60 Minutes," quoting defense attorneys. Chicago has twice as many documented false confession cases as any city. One reason may be the way police go about questioning suspects. The Chicago Police Department is the subject of a Justice Department investigation into its interrogation practices.

"60 Minutes" examined two cases involving several teenage boys who were arrested and they say forced or tricked into confessing to violent crimes they never committed. Each spent nearly half their lives in prison. They are free now. One of them, Terrill Swift, says, "We did an extensive amount of time in jail for something we didn't do." They each served terms ranging from 15 years to life. Four were convicted in one rape and murder, three in a different one. All were found guilty based solely on confessions.

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