At 11:18 PM 11/11/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>miker wrote:
>
>I don't think courts had the same burden of proof in
the 1930s. Nor did
>the cops have the same constraints on eliciting
confessions.
Not to argue the point above, but I don't think we should
underrate the human desire to confess. If I recall my
statistics, most crimes are solved through second hand
confessions. The criminal tells someone at least part of what
was done. It's sometimes described as bragging (and often
comes to court through various forms of authoritative trading
and manipulation) but I think the Catholic church was on to
something powerful when they made confession a central part
of their community service. There is a psychological and
political basis for this, as well as spiritual.
We all need a confidant, and it's rare that secrets are
kept.
Best, Kerry
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