Evidence presentation

Evidence Presentation [Name] [Institution] [Date] Evidence Presentation Interview and interrogations are to some extend related, but they are fundamentally different processes. An interview can be defined as an information gathering exercise. It can also be referred to as a conversation between any two or more people, preferably face to face, with the aim of collecting relevant information. On the other hand, interrogation seeks to motivate the guilty to admit their participation in a crime or any other incident under investigation. These different objectives between interview and interrogation affect the behavior of the questioner, the scope of the setting, and the nature of the setting (Bunting, 2007). This paper explores the factors that lead to effective interviews/interrogation. It also includes plan for an interview. An interview is a non-suggestive process, because it only allows the interviewer to gather information and analyze it in order to determine whether the interviewee is telling the truth. An interviewer is not expected to alter the collected information in any way. He/she is expected to conduct the interview with unbiased professional attitude, with a tone that is objective and non-judgmental. On the other hand, an interrogator is expected to project to the suspected individual that he/she has no doubt that the suspect is guilty. He/she is expected to have extra confidence in convincing the suspect in order to break the resistance of the deceptive suspects. Factors/techniques that lead to an effective interview In order to extract relevant information from various individuals during an interview, it is imperative to adopt appropriate questioning techniques. By using appropriate questioning techniques, the interviewer will be in a position to make the exchange of information look natural while at the same time taking control of the conversation in a predetermined structure. Since the core objective in an interview is to stimulate and take control of the conversation, it is important to rely on the basic methods of creating conversation, which entails the use of questions (Seidman, 2006). If questions are used skillfully and subtly, the interviewer will be able to elicit information needed while at the same time allowing interviewees to feel comfortable in course of the interview. To ensure that the interview is conducted effectively, it is essential for the interviewer/interrogator to constantly obtain a better understanding of the human behavior. The interviewer should not stop seeking or studying the suspect for higher levels of insight. He/she must ensure that no obstacle prevents the interviewee from telling the truth. In addition, the interviewer must learn how to demonstrate to the interviewee the advantages of telling the truth, while at the same time diminishing the interviewee`s fear of punishment or any other consequences of telling the truth. Most important, the interviewer must believe in truth, live it, and model it for the suspect. Another factor determining the effectiveness of an interview is who should be interviewed or interrogated. It is always advisable to interview one person. This will ensure that every interviewee gives his/her thoughts without been influenced by another person`s point of view. It is important to start the interviews with the neutral witnesses before moving to the corroborative ones. The real suspect of the issue under investigation should be interviewed towards the end of the exercise. However, depending on the nature of the case, other options can be considered (Gordon & Fleisher, 2011). For instance, if the evidence can be easily distorted or witnesses are receiving threats, it is advisable to commence the interview with the core suspects before embarking on the neutral ones. Confidentiality is another integral factor of ensuring an interview is conducted effectively. Taking a situation where the case under investigation involves a certain organization, there may be employees who are willing to tell the truth provided they remain anonymous. Moreover, comprehensive information for various cases is easily got via anonymous letters or employee hotlines. Although anonymous sources can provide comprehensive information, some of the information may be geared at embarrassing or discrediting the target. Therefore, the interviewer should exercise a higher level of professionalism when analyzing the collected information (Bunting, 2007). In addition, preparedness is essential for effective interviews. The interviewer should ensure the plan and theme of the interview is developed before the real exercise. The plan should outline the objectives of the interview, who will be respon...