Video – Attorney Darryl Stallworth Explains How The Police Report In A Domestic Violence Incident May Be Tainted By Bias

Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media

Well. there’s a couple of issues there.  The first is that I can understand that everybody wants to tell their side of the story, which, of course, is now something they shouldn’t do based upon your advice.  The next issue is, whatever transpired at that moment, with law enforcement present, it’s going to go in a police report.  So that’s an interpretation on the police officer, or the sheriff’s own viewpoint of what occurred.  So, you’ve got several different issues there, I would assume.

Darryl Stallworth – Criminal Defense Attorney – Alameda County, CA

The police officer’s summary of what took place is, subconsciously, oftentimes what I call confirmatory bias.  They believe that somebody did something wrong, and they will write it up that way.  They will use adjectives, oftentimes to describe something in a way that it helps corroborate what the accuser is saying.  And once again, not intentionally, I don’t believe police officers are malicious, but that’s part of what they do to protect and serve.  They’re coming to help protect somebody, and the way they describe what the person tells them, and what they see, oftentimes it’s not helpful for the client that’s being accused.