| Abstrakt: |
The empirical literature on perception and memory consistently demonstrates the pitfalls of eyewitness identifications. Exoneration data lend external validity to these studies. With the goal of informing law enforcement officers, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, judges, and judicial law clerks about what they can do to reduce wrongful convictions based on misidentifications, this Article presents a synthesis of the scientific knowledge relevant to how perception and memory affect the (un)reliability of eyewitness identifications. The Article situates that body of knowledge within the context of leading case law. The Article then summarizes the most current recommendations for how law enforcement personnel should--and should not--conduct eyewitness identification procedures. Finally, the Article concludes by making law and policy recommendations for handling eyewitness identification evidence in ways that can reduce wrongful convictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
