Discussion Highlights False Confessions on International Wrongful Conviction Day
St. John’s University’s Justice Initiative Center explored several issues that drive wrongful convictions in a panel discussion that featured attorneys, exonerees, filmmakers, and researchers.
The program focused on how and why innocent people confess to crimes they did not commit—and what institutional reforms can prevent such confessions from occurring.
“False confessions are one of the major factors contributing to wrongful convictions,” said Marina Sorochinski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, and Research and Education Liaison for the Justice Initiative Center, which is housed under the Office of Mission Initiatives.
“As much as I would like to say this is housed exclusively within law enforcement, it is a much greater issue,” Anna Giannichi, a Ph.D. candidate in Clinical Psychology, said. “False confessions are one of the strongest tools we have in obtaining arrests and convictions. In some cases, it can feel like ‘evidence does not matter; you confessed.’”
https://www.stjohns.edu/news-media/news/2025-10-07/discussion-highlights-false-confessions-international-wrongful-conviction-day
Indeed a little concerning how one confession, even obtained under duress, can potentially outweigh DNA evidence, witness statements, and even proof that the person making the confession was not at the scene the crime took place.