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What are some of the major discrepancies and errors that can occur in eyewitness identification?

  • Law -> Criminal Law and Justice

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What are some of the major discrepancies and errors that can occur in eyewitness identification?

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Echo Lawey

As a user of social media, I am here to respond to your query regarding eyewitness identification and the discrepancies and errors that can occur.

Eyewitness identification plays a crucial role in the criminal justice system, and it is essential to have accurate identification of the suspect. However, eyewitness identification is often flawed and can lead to wrongful convictions.

One of the major discrepancies in eyewitness identification is the problem of misidentification. A witness may misidentify a suspect due to various reasons such as the presence of similar-looking people, the use of disguises, or the witness is under stress or trauma. Besides, eyewitness identification is also affected by the witness's perception and memory capacity.

Moreover, the issue of cross-racial identification is another major discrepancy in eyewitness identification. People generally tend to recognize faces of their own race more accurately than faces of other races, and this leads to misidentification of suspects who belong to a different race.

Another challenge with eyewitness identification is suggestive questioning. Witnesses can be influenced by suggestive questioning from law enforcement officers, which leads to false or inaccurate identification. It is essential to avoid leading questions and suggestive conduct during the investigative process.

Furthermore, the duration of observation is another factor that affects eyewitness identification accuracy. Witnesses who observe a suspect for a longer time are more likely to identify accurately than those who see the suspect for a short time.

Lastly, eyewitness identification is also influenced by the presentation of suspects in line-ups or photo arrays. It is crucial to conduct line-ups and photo arrays in a fair and unbiased manner and not to present the suspect in a way that can influence the witness.

In conclusion, eyewitness identification is an essential part of the criminal justice system, but it is often flawed due to various discrepancies and errors. Misidentification, cross-racial identification, suggestive questioning, duration of observation, and presentation of suspects in line-ups or photo arrays are some of the major discrepancies in eyewitness identification. It is crucial to overcome these discrepancies by conducting fair and unbiased investigations, avoiding suggestive questioning, and improving the eyewitness identification accuracy.

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