Virginia Delegate Jackie Glass (D–Norfolk) submitted a proposal to curtail law enforcement officers from lying during interrogations, according to VPM.
HB 250 would set up non-binding guidelines for law enforcement. The bill would establish a model policy on interrogation practices for law enforcement officers in Virginia.
Currently, when law enforcement officers interrogate a suspect, they are almost always allowed to lie about the evidence they have gathered, according to the Innocence Project.
The legislation would require the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop standards on everything from AI-generated fake evidence to false promises of leniency.
What prompted HB 250?
HB 250 was prompted by five cases in Virginia Beach in which police forged forensic science reports and used them to question suspects. Former Attorney General Mark Herring ordered the department to stop the practice.
HB 250 has cleared its first hurdle in a party-line subcommittee vote of 12-10 on February 2, 2024.