The Role of Consultants and Expert Witness in Cases of Disputed Confessions
Presented by: Brian Cutler, PhD and Jeffrey Kaplan, MSc
10 Hours / 10 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on The Role of Consultants and Expert Witness in Cases of Disputed Confessions is presented by Brian Cutler, PhD and Jeffrey Kaplan, MSc.
This program discusses the role that psychologists play as consultants and expert witnesses in disputed confession cases, from case intake through resolution. Topics covered include the role of false confessions in miscarriages of justice, the science underlying false confessions, how to identify personal and situational risk factors for false confessions, the content of false confessions, and policies and procedures aimed at reducing the risk of false confessions. Particular attention is paid to the assessment of videotaped interrogations for coercion and risk factors for false confession and delivering findings to the courts.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe the role that false confessions play in miscarriages of justice of a variety of types
- 2 Describe the characteristics that render individuals particularly susceptible to false confessions
- 3 Describe situational factors that heighten an individual’s risk for a false confession
- 4 Describe the process by which false confessions can seem as compelling to observers as true confessions
- 5 Describe contemporary policies and procedures designed to mitigate the risk of false confessions.
- 6 Describe the process by which interrogations are evaluated for false confession risk factors
- 7 Describe the roles that the consultant and expert witness play in cases of potential false confession
Training Instructors:
Brian Cutler, PhD
Dr. Brian Cutler began serving as a consultant and expert witness in cases involving risk factors for mistaken eyewitness identifications and mistaken eyewitness memories in 1989. To date, he has consulted in more than 200 cases. In 2013, Dr. Cutler began serving as a consultant and expert witness in cases involving the risk factors for false accusations and false confessions, and to date has consulted in more than 40 cases.
Jeffrey Kaplan, MSc
Jeff Kaplan holds a MSC in forensic psychology from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and a B.A. (Hons) in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Winnipeg. His areas of expertise is the evaluation of police interrogations and false confessions.
CE Sponsorship Information
Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here.
American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.
Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).
Sponsorship Approval Statements
Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.