Expert: Dick Rogers - 4/1/2009

Question
Hello, my name is Jennifer Lovell. I live in Indiana and I am a Criminal Justice student. I need to find out what you would ask a police detective while interviewing them. If you could, please help me, I am completely stumped.

Answer
Jennifer, if this is an interview dealing with the detective's occupation, then you could seek answers to questions that puzzle most people...for example, have him/her explain what ..."fruit of the poison tree" means (it generally means evidence in court that is not allowed because police used improper or illegal means to obtain a piece of evidence and other evidence aligned with that seizure would not be allowed as well). Have him/her describe what corpus delicti means (it means the basic or fundamental facts necessary to prove the commission of a crime). You might ask about their most complex crime they investigated.  How many times have they lost a case in court?  Do they have a partner or do they work alone?  What is the most important issue facing law enforcement today?  Who is authorized to use the Tazer and what are the restrictions as to its use?  A caution:  Do not ask the detective if they have shot anyone...it is generally a touchy subject that most detectives do not feel comfortable talking about. You might ask how long it took to become a detective and what other units the person worked before becoming a detective.  You might finally ask the person if they would recommend police work to young people...good luck.