Eyewitness Identification
Police often ask eyewitnesses to identify a suspect from a lineup or an array of photos. A lineup or photo array involves placing a suspect or a photo of a suspect among people who are not suspected of committing the crime (fillers) and asking the eyewitness to identify the perpetrator.
Misidentification by eyewitnesses has played a role in a high number of wrongful convictions and has led criminal justice experts to look more closely at the effectiveness of identifying suspects from live and photographic lineups. [1]
Works Cited
[1] See for example discussions from "Meetings/Events of the AJS Institute of Forensic Science and Public Policy" Exit Notice, American Judicature Society.
Date Entered: March 2, 2009