An Act preventing false confessions

This bill amends Massachusetts law to restrict how law enforcement can question suspects, specifically by prohibiting deceptive tactics during interrogations of juveniles and requiring electronic recording of all custodial interrogations in detention facilities. Under the new rules, any statement obtained from a juvenile through known deception would be presumed inadmissible in court unless the prosecution can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the confession was voluntary and reliable. Additionally, the legislation mandates that audio and video recordings of interrogations must capture the entire process, including the reading of rights, and states that a failure to record will automatically make any resulting statements inadmissible. These provisions aim to ensure that confessions are genuine and obtained through fair procedures while shifting the burden of proof to the state when deception or lack of recording occurs.