Coercive interrogations are staged as voluntary and formally consensual

Evidence

“Mr. Love,” said Cheeseman in a cold and formal manner, “the company has asked that you be present today to answer some questions. I want you to understand that you’re free to leave anytime you want to. If you want to take a break, to go to the men’s room, to get a drink, or for any purpose, you’re free to do that. The company has asked you, however, to answer the questions that I have.” Cheeseman looked at the plant manager. “Just to be sure that it’s understood, Mr. Nordin, would you now ask Mr. Love to answer my questions?” — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 980

Categorization

• SHARE: The ‘you’re free to leave’ ritual before a captive interview — the kind of bit a lawyer or HR friend would immediately recognize.
• XREF: connects to: Client consent in street-level encounters is continually managed rather than freely given — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of…, 441; Coerced confession coexisted with formal requirements that it appear spontaneous — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 89

Broader Connections

• Coerced confession coexisted with formal requirements that it appear spontaneous #corroborates (0.95) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 89