ABA Resolution 517 on Police Questioning of Youth

The American Bar Association (ABA) passed a resolution urging all governmental authorities to enact laws and policies prohibiting police from utilizing deceptive practices during youth interrogations. Relying on adolescent development research and recognizing the inherent vulnerabilities of youth during police interrogations, the ABA outlines that “it is beyond dispute that interrogations of adolescents by law enforcement, particularly with coercive and or deceptive means, are more likely to result in false confessions and wrongful convictions.” This resolution signals a growing consensus against youth interrogation practices that rely on deception and offers policy and legal advocates additional authority to challenge problematic youth interrogation practices.