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Solving the eyewitness problem
Author(s) -
Greene Edith,
Loftus Elizabeth F.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2370020406
Subject(s) - eyewitness identification , eyewitness testimony , jury , witness , jury instructions , conviction , psychology , context (archaeology) , perception , law , criminology , computer security , social psychology , political science , computer science , history , archaeology , database , neuroscience , relation (database)
Faulty eyewitness testimony is a major source of wrongful convictions. Four solutions are examined to safeguard against mistaken testimony having undue impact: (1) to overturn any conviction based solely on the uncorroborated testimony of a single eyewitness, (2) to require that an attorney be present at any pretrial identification procedure, (3) to allow an expert to testify during the trial about factors of perception and memory that could affect a witness's accuracy, and (4) to have the judge deliver a cautionary instruction to the jury, admonishing them to carefully scrutinize eyewitness testimony, or to educate them about such testimony. Each alternative is discussed within the context of psychological research and legal cases.