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Eyewitness Identification Reform

By Tom Lincoln

CrimProf Blog reports here on a column in the December issue of The Champion by NACDL President Barry Scheck on changes on the horizon that will go a long way towards avoiding mistaken eyewitness identifications."Soon, the single greatest cause of the conviction of the innocent -- mistaken eyewitness identification -- will be significantly redressed by a series of historic reforms: We will see photo arrays and lineups conducted by a blinded examiner (the person running the procedure doesn't know the identity of the suspect); proper admonitions to witnesses that the real perpetrator may not be present; proper selection of fillers so they meet the description of the perpetrator, not the suspect; confidence statements from witnesses at the time of identification in their own words; and sequential presentation at identification procedures with an adequate number of fillers (at least five)...continue to full post

Full post as published by Puerto Rico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on December 23, 2004 (boomark / email).