Perkins Operations Under Fire | San Francisco News

California’s justice system is under fire over secret jail stings that lure suspects into confessing — even after they’ve said they don’t want to talk. Prosecutors hail them as vital to solving crimes and clearing the innocent, citing hundreds of murder convictions. But critics warn these tactics pressure people into false confessions, especially Black and Latino defendants, who are targeted at alarming rates. New evidence from thousands of pages and dozens of interviews reveals undercover agents — often older, intimidating gangsters-in-disguise — staging elaborate setups in jail cells, sometimes with five agents confronting one suspect. Despite a 1990 Supreme Court ruling that says these confessions are “voluntary,” judges are now questioning whether that ruling holds when suspects have already invoked their right to remain silent. One justice called the Miranda violations “widespread.” And in a major blow, an appeals court recently overturned a conviction, ruling that continuing an operation after a suspect says no is illegal interrogation. The debate is heating up — and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e1fcc8f7f2180ed1