psychology of policing and investigations
criminal competencies
forensic assessment in civil and criminal cases
concepts
Competency to confess refers to a suspect's ability to make a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of the Miranda warnings at the time of police questioning. Confessions that are given after a suspect waives his or her Miranda rights are sometimes challenged on the basis that the suspect was not competent to confess, meaning that the suspect was not capable of making a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of the Miranda rights and therefore could not have understood, appreciated, and willingly waived those rights. [Source: Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law; Competency to Confess]
competency to confess