Which statement best describes an interview?

• A. An interview is questioning of a witness or non-custodial person.
• B. Interviews require you to read rights, while interrogations do not.
• C. Interrogations are custodial questioning for confession.
• D. Interviews only involve non-witnesses.

Answer: (A)

In policing, an interview is non-custodial questioning used to gather information from witnesses or other non-suspects. This fits best with the statement that describes an interview as questioning of a witness or non-custodial person, because interviews are about information collection without confinement. Rights advisement is tied to custodial situations, so you don’t typically read rights during an interview. Interrogations are custodial questioning aimed at obtaining a confession, which is a different scenario focused on someone in custody. The idea that interviews can only involve non-witnesses is incorrect, since interviews commonly involve witnesses and others who are not suspects.