Joshua Behl, Flagler College – Innocent — But Will It Be Believed?

On Flagler College Week: What if you make a mistake when giving an alibi?

Joshua D. Behl, associate professor of criminology, examines this scenario.

Dr. Joshua Behl received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in August of 2016 where he also received his BA and MA. Dr. Behl’s research interests are found at the intersection of psychology and the law. Using criminological, psychological, and sociological theories, he has researched the topics of witness behavior, alibis, and jury decision-making. Dr. Behl applies this research to real world cases in his work as a trial consultant. Most importantly, he is the proud husband of his wife, Taylor, and father to his daughter, Luna.

Innocent — But Will It Be Believed?

Consider this: the police come to your door and ask where you were on a Monday evening approximately six months ago. Without much thought, you reply, “I was at home with my family eating dinner.” You have just offered the police an alibi.

These statements are seemingly innocuous. Those who are innocent should have an alibi – or a claim that they were elsewhere at the time of the crime. However, that claim is a lot easier to generate than it is to support. And even when you can support it, convincing a court to believe it can be even more difficult.

In our research, we explore the complex task of accurately remembering what you were doing and with whom on a day and time that may have been inconsequential. And what happens when you may make a mistake in that memory retrieval.

What if you misremembered the day of the week and suggested you were at home with your family, but in reality, you were at a friend’s birthday party? Would the police view this as a simple mistake or an attempt at deceit? How will jurors view this lapse in memory?

Claiming to be elsewhere during the time of the crime is not a new phenomenon; however, the field of alibi research is still somewhat young. While researchers have established an understanding of some basic concepts related to alibi use, there are many other factors we do not yet understand. We hope our research will inspire a new generation of researchers to focus on alibis and corroborating evidence, pushing the field to build on this foundation and expand the reach and understanding of the topic.

However, one thing is clear: what you remember, what you can prove, and what will be believed rarely align as neatly as one would imagine.