JOUR 625 Lecture Notes - Lecture 67: Scientific Method, Eyewitness Identification
23 Jul 2020
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Document Summary
An important role in investigating and prosecuting crimes is identifications from eyewitnesses. However, eyewitnesses can sometimes make mistakes that may lead to severe consequences. Identifying criminal suspects from eyewitnesses is a form of direct evidence in a testimony that can be used for forensic evidence and purposes. Eyewitness identification has a long history of being used in this way by law enforcement and in the courts. They are valuable in convictions and acquittals during trial. Our society has recently, though, been introduced to all of the failures that testimonies from eyewitnesses can bring in misidentifying people. This has led to innocent people being convicted of crimes they have never done. Hundreds of innocent people have been locked up while the real criminals are often latter committing more crimes and running free. This risks undermining the trust of the public in our criminal justice system. This can lead to social unrest directed mainly at law enforcement and the courts.
