Confessions, Truth, and the Law

Joseph Grano is the leading critic of the Warren Court's so-called revolution in American criminal procedure and the predominant critic of the Miranda decision. Here he presents a sophisticated analysis of both the relevant Supreme Court cases and the philosophical underpinnings of the concept involved. The author discusses a number of issues that bear on the normative judgments that must be made in cases of confession. Included are the various coercive effects of offers and threats, the issue of causation, and the connection between unfair police practices and the issue of a confession's voluntariness. Confessions, Truth, and the Law is divided into two parts that discuss policy and constitutional considerations, respectively. One of its key themes is that policy analysis and constitutional analysis may lead to different conclusions. In addition to law students and professors, students of philosophy and related disciplines will have an immediate interest in this book. "Everyone who has an interest in the criminal justice system should read Joseph Grano's . . . Confessions, Truth, and the Law. . . . He does not shy away from controversial positions, and his attack on the rather smug, self-satisfied current attitude toward the law of confessions comes as a breath of fresh air. It also comes as an assault on the temple of Miranda." --Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Joseph D. Grano is Distinguished Professor of Law, Wayne State University. He has written extensively on the issues of confessions and constitutional rights.