Why Is Eyewitness Testimony Unreliable

Eyewitness testimony is unreliable In older times eye witnessing was the only way to prove that a criminal was guilty and put to jail. Now a day catching criminals is more fast and reliable with the technology we have in our hands. Technology doesn’t only help us capturing or prove the right person at fault, it also helps us protect people. When it comes to eyewitnesses in court only reliable persons are brought on by the lawyers, same with victims. The journal Does Eyewitness Memory Research

Justice Project).” Eyewitness testimony is highly relied on by judges, but it can not always be trusted. Approximately 48% of wrong convictions are because of mistaken identity by eyewitnesses (The Psychology of Eyewitness Testimony). After we discovered this information, we became curious as to whether in a testimony, the eyewitness’ memory is more reliable after a short period of time or after a longer period of time? According to previous experiments, eyewitness testimony is unreliable. Likely, we want

system, and the lack of strict procedures and high standards are producing an arena for faulty facts. It is essential that the judicial system develop a more trustworthy protocol for evidence and that the community keeps informed. What is evidence and why is it important to be factual? Evidence in a legal proceeding is essentially what establishes the crime, it's the most important step to get correct because, it affects the subject on

Eyewitness testimony has long been viewed as important evidence in court cases. The general population believes eyewitness identification more than any other evidence, even if the witness account is conflicting with the other evidence presented. Studies show that eyewitness testimony is unreliable, and yet it is still considered the most important form of evidence. People think that if a person says they saw something then it must have happened. Currently there are no universal guidelines on

In eyewitness testimony the human eye can distort or change what it sees. There are many intricate parts of the eye that contribute to people’s daily vision. Not everyone has the same form and order of cells in their eyes. The rod cells are located on the perimeter of the retina. While the cone cells are compacted together in the middle of the retina. Both of these cell types are clustered together but, are not placed evenly throughout the eye. When the form of the cells create “central vision” the

analogical, and testimony. Testimony is defined by Merriam Webster dictionary as “something that someone says especially in a court of law while formally promising to tell the truth” (2014). During a trial, testimony is heard supporting both sides of the court, the prosecution and defense. Though some of that testimony is based on hard facts, or expert testimony (deemed an expert by the judge), some of it can be easily misconstrued, and some can be undeniable (such as expert testimony in relation to

prosecutions. The California Innocence Project says that they are numerous reasons why eyewitness are mostly wrong. They are High Stress Environment and Trauma, Human Memory, and Suggestive Identification and etc. There are all these reasons that eyewitnesses have a high rate of error but, are still considered some of the most powerful evidence against a suspect. After a comprehensive two-year study of eyewitness testimonies, the New Jersey Supreme Court concluded that they often leads to fictional or

finger, accompanied by the solidifying eyewitness statement “He’s the one!” is enough for a jury to make its final decision in a court case. Although it is understandable, when faced opposite of the individual creating the accusation, to place one’s belief in the accusation made, the credibility of the eyewitness’s account of events are rarely taken into consideration. Psychologists have taken part in research that recognizes the unreliable nature of eyewitness statements used to determine guilt because

Evaluation of Research Into Eyewitness Testimony Eyewitness testimony investigates the accuracy of memory following a crime or an incident worth interrogating and the types of errors made in such situations. Sometimes eyewitness testimony can be unreliable, which can lead to horrific consequences in a court of law for example, hence many Psychologists have studied and theorized why this happens. One leading researcher on Eyewitness testimony is Elizabeth Loftus and

predictive factors aid in eyewitness accuracy, how come the attorney is not presented with all the factors influenced by misidentification? If the attorney is presented with all the factors it can help aid in a successful conviction and put the eyewitness at ease knowing that the evidence presented at trial matches with the eyewitness testimony. The eyewitness is under tremendous pressure; detectives and police are trying their hardest not to contaminate the case. However, eyewitness memory cannot recall