John Oliver explains what really happens in police interrogations, and why you should always request a lawyer

Police interrogations and dramatic confessions are "a staple of countless TV shows, including ones you might not expect," John Oliver said on Sunday night's Last Week Tonight. "But it's not just audiences who find them compelling — juries do, too. Confessions are viewed as the 'gold standard' when it comes to an indication of guilt," often even more persuasive than DNA evidence.

But "of all the convictions that have been overturned through DNA testing, 29 percent involved false confessions," Oliver said. And like many jurors, "you may find that hard to believe, because it can be very hard to comprehend how someone could confess to something they didn't do." But there are several reasons innocent people do just that, "and a lot of that comes down to what happens in a police interrogation room," he said. "So tonight let's talk about police interrogations: What tactics they use and how damaging they can be, particularly for the innocent. "

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.