CERL Advisory Council member Mark Fallon testified last week before the Minnesota Judicial Committee on a Minnesota bill that aims to prohibit admission of confessions obtained when deception is used. Fallon emphasized the science of effective interviewing, stating:

We now know that deceptive police practices contribute to false confessions. We also know science-based methods produce more accurate and reliable information without the collateral damage of legacy tactics. This requires a shift in mindset and institutional cultures, an evolution away from deceptive tactics towards truth-seeking approaches. This isn’t about taking tools away from police. It is about improving their skills and competencies.

Mark Fallon spent over three decades as a national security professional, principally as a special agent with NCIS. He has conducted interrogations in the United States and internationally and chaired the three-agency Research Committee of the High Value Detainee Interrogation Group. Fallon was a member of the 15-person international steering committee of experts overseeing the development of the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering. He is also the director of ClubFed, LLC. Read his bio here.

Watch the testimony below, courtesy of Project Aletheia.