Completed
Science has provided an increasingly clear picture of the inherent limits in human visual perception and memory that can lead to errors in eyewitness identification. While the law enforcement community is working to improve the accuracy of eyewitness identifications, efforts have not been uniform and often fall short because of insufficient training, the absence of standard operating procedures, and the presence of actions and statements that unintentionally influence eyewitnesses. Identifying the Culprit: Assessing Eyewitness Identification recommends best practices that law enforcement agencies and courts should follow to improve the likelihood that eyewitness identifications used in criminal cases will be accurate.
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Consensus
·2014
Identifying the Culprit: Assessing Eyewitness Identification makes the case that better data collection and research on eyewitness identification, new law enforcement training protocols, standardized procedures for administering line-ups, and improvements in the handling of eyewitness identification...
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Description
In Phase I of a possible two-phase study, an ad hoc committee will 1) critically assess the existing body of scientific research as it relates to eyewitness identification; 2) identify any gaps in the existing body of literature and suggest, as appropriate, other research questions to be pursued that will further our understanding of eyewitness identification and that might offer additional insight into law enforcement and courtroom practice; 3) provide an assessment of what can be learned from research fields outside of eyewitness identification; 4) offer recommendations for best practices in the handling of eyewitness identifications by law enforcement; 5) offer recommendations for developing jury instructions; 6) offer advice regarding the scope of a Phase II consideration of neuroscience research as well as any other areas of research that might have a bearing on eyewitness identification; and 7) write a consensus report with appropriate findings and recommendations.
[1] Convicting the Innocent, Brandon Garret, 2011
Contributors
Committee
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
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Committee Membership Roster Comments
Please note that there has been a change in the committee membership with the addition of William G. Brooks III on 1/14/14.
Please note that there has been a change in the committee membership with the removal of Dr. Karen Amendola on 12/11/13.
Sponsors
Laura and John Arnold Foundation
Staff
Anne-Marie Mazza
Lead
Steven Kendall