After 100 protests of innocence the police finally got her to say something damaging about herself. That wily DA managed to prevent an expert witness from testifying as to why such admissions are rarely genuine.
We all like thinking we’d never ever agree to a confession that was untrue, whatever the circumstances.
And yet . . .
When I was working a retail job as a manager, when the district manager had it out for me and I felt I was going to be fired, I called my store and asked one of the young receptionists to place a note in the register: “$20 in possession of Manager _________ .”
I wanted to make sure everything was ship shape.
That was actually redundant because I had already submitted a written expense report to the company for about $70, that twenty dollars out of the register plus about another fifty out of my own pocket, mainly for supplies from Office Max.
Okay, they had this two-on-one meeting with me where one guy was supposed to be the witness but he did speak up.
Weirdly, they called the $50 dollars they gave each store “petty cash,” even though they used it as “bank,” meaning starting cash for the register.
So, this swirling two-on-one situation, yeah, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet and gave them $20 even though it didn’t feel right. I did have the presence of mind to ask for a written note of receipt for that $20.
Yes, I was fired. Yes, I did get my $70 of out-of-pocket expenses refunded back from the company. And yes, the entire situation can still bother me from time to time, even though it’s been more than ten years.
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My point is,
for each of us, don’t be too sure you won’t confess to something that isn’t true (especially if the other person has the advantage, and perhaps most especially of all, if there are several other somebodies bearing down on you or tag-teaming you)