Expert testimony on confessions: Is this safeguard color-blind

Expert witness testimony on confession evidence has been shown in the past to educate jurors regarding interrogation tactics used by the police and explaining how a confession can be coerced through this process. This study assessed whether a suspect's race (Black or White) would influence guilty verdicts. Furthermore, the study assessed whether expert witness testimony would have a greater effect depending on suspect's race. Results indicated that there were no differences in terms of conviction ratings between the Black and White defendants. Expert testimony was influential for both Black and White suspects; however participants gave higher coerciveness ratings for the interrogation tactics used on the Black suspect.