Interview versus interrogation: when does interrogation begin?

• A. After the person is innocent
• B. When you suspect the person being interviewed may have played a part in the crime
• C. Only after a confession
• D. After fingerprinting

Answer: (B)

Interviews are non-accusatory conversations used to gather information from people who aren’t yet treated as suspects. Interrogation begins when you shift to questioning someone you now suspect may have been involved in the crime, with the goal of eliciting information that could implicate them or lead to a confession. That transition—treating the person as a suspect and directing the questioning toward extracting incriminating statements—marks the start of interrogation.

The other scenarios don’t define the start: a person being innocent isn’t the trigger, a confession can come only after interrogation has begun, and fingerprinting is a procedure for collecting physical evidence, not the moment you switch from interview to interrogation. If the person is in custody, Miranda rights may apply during interrogation, but the moment you suspect involvement is what signals the shift in approach.