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Where Is the Accurate Memory? The Eyes Have It
The witness points out the criminal in a police lineup. She swears she’d remember that face forever. Then DNA evidence shows she’s got the wrong guy. It happens so frequently that many courts are looking
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The Certainty of Memory Has Its Day in Court
The New York Times: Witness testimony has been the gold standard of the criminal justice system, revered in courtrooms and crime dramas as the evidence that clinches a case. Yet scientists have long cautioned that
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Troy Davis Execution Fuels Eyewitness ID Debate
NPR: Before he was executed in Georgia last week, Troy Davis brought worldwide attention to his case by challenging the trustworthiness of bystanders who said they saw him shoot a police officer. Davis lost the
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Eyewitness Testimony Can Be Tragically Mistaken
LiveScience: Last night’s execution of convicted murderer Troy Davis reportedly sent those convinced of Davis’ innocence into hysterics. One of their concerns — that eyewitness testimony in the case had been recanted — also concerns
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Changes to Police Lineup Procedures Cut Eyewitness Mistakes, Study Says
The New York Times: The push for procedures to help overcome the weaknesses of eyewitness identifications gains support with a new study being released on Monday that sees significant advantages in techniques promoted by many
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Crime witness ID method can affect error rate: study
CNBC: Showing photographs of suspected criminals to witnesses in sequence, rather than all at once, can produce fewer mistakes in identifications, according to new research. Gary Wells, a psychology professor at Iowa State University, said
