By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – While Illinois state law will require taping the questioning of homicide suspects beginning in July 2005, St. Clair County state's attorney Bob Haida says there's no reason to wait for the state requirement to take effect...and no reason not to expand the rule beyond murder suspects:
"It preserves exactly what happens between a suspect, who becomes a defendant, and the police," Haida said. "And it will protect the police. So it will give a better work product in terms of case presentation for a trial and it will also protect the good police work and protect these good policemen from false claims."
Haida says the new videotaping rule has the support of the sheriff's department and the police departments in St. Clair County.