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CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
[Date]
Chapter 7
In addition to the issues addressed in this chapter, what issues affect a person's credibility as a witness?
The investigator should consider some characteristics of the witness such as the age of the person, intelligence, mental state and especially the intoxication. These standards are set by the court for a sound witness. The minimum age limit in court is set, while the youngest person should have the sense to differentiate between right and wrong. The witness must have a sound mind and know that telling a lie is a wrongful action. There is no minimum standard for intelligence requirements for a reliable witness (Weston et al., Pp. 135). The only trait that is observed by the investigator is that the witness can focus on a thing and do not easily confuse. The mental status of a person is also considered for witness and testified in the court. A person who is drugs addicted could not be a reliable and trustworthy witness. An intoxicated person can not observe a situation properly and could not be a competent witness. However, it depends on the intensity of the drugs.
Explain the similarities and differences between interviewing witnesses and interrogating suspects?
Interviewing a witness is less formal and conversation between the investigator and the observer of the crime or an incident. In this conversation, the credibility of a person is examined, and his or her statement is recorded. Interrogating a suspect in terms of information gathering is similar. However, the difference is that interrogation is more formal and designed to get a suspect to confess whatever he or she did. Interview means that whatever the witness saw and know about the incident provide information willingly. While interrogation generally takes place when the suspect is in custody, and the police officer is trying to get the information and get the suspect to confess. Both of these words are commonly used for information gathering, but these are different concepts, used by the investigators with different protocols.
Works Cited
Weston, Paul B., and Kenneth M. Wells. Criminal investigation: Basic perspectives. Prentice-Hall, 1974.
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