Question about a commentary on psychic ability

[Psydox]

Does anyone know if Mr. Randi has ever addressed how law enforcement has utilized a psychic to find evidence for unsolved cases and things like that. I don't know much about that process or what a psychic's specific claims are related to doing things of that nature and I was curious.

[Aoidoi]

Try this one:

http://www.randi.org/jr/07-02-2000.html

I seem to recall some other mentions in other columns as well, you can check the titles of the commentaries by clicking on "Commentary" on the bar across the top of every page.

[Brown]

Originally posted by Psydox
Does anyone know if Mr. Randi has ever addressed how law enforcement has utilized a psychic to find evidence for unsolved cases and things like that. I don't know much about that process or what a psychic's specific claims are related to doing things of that nature and I was curious. Yes. I believe he discusses this briefly in the video "Secrets of the Psychics." I believe he has also discussed it in his various columns for "Skeptic" magazine.

What follows are my remarks, not Mr. Randi's.

In general, psychics impede investigations and do not help them. No psychic tip has ever been proven valuable in discovery of evidence, and following up psychic "tips" actually draws resources away from following up legitimate tips.

In addition, psychic tips cannot be the basis for a conviction, or for probable cause, or for reasonable suspicion. For that matter, psychic tips do not meet any legal evidentiary standard at all. They are not proper legal bases for discovery of evidence. Any suggestion that evidence "came from a psychic's help" would be immediately suspect and subject to exclusion by the Court, increasing the chances that a potentially guilty person would go free.

[Psydox]

Thanks much 8)