Eyewitness Misidentification: The War on Exoneration

Eyewitness misidentification is the simple justification of what may have collected a misinterpreted scene. Witnesses of any incident are usually distorted, and even forgetful of what they may or may not have remembered. Candidly, it is in this instance where information becomes fabricated, to fit either racial stereotypes or a collage of distant memories. With massive rates of innovative technological applications, this paper examines traditional procedural practices that should not be standardized, instead, these methods should be conflicted free (records of every case file should be handled with the proper solidified documentation), relying precisely on DNA evidence. Likewise, action by both the Federal Government, and Police Departments should reflect new validation checklist methods by creating new stress-free anti-conviction agencies using a budget from high-cost building projects. The conclusions are clear; rely on eyewitness statements, keep prisons open, and drain the nation’s budget.

“Eyewitness misidentification is the greatest contributing factor to wrongful conviction proven by DNA testing, playing a role in more than 70% of convictions overturned through DNA testing nationwide” (The Innocence Project, 2016a). Everyone's testimonies are most cases unreliable and usually held high in false regard for the cost of unjust incarcerations. With a varying number, of police departments relying on statements from eyewitnesses, a whopping 70% of overturned cases place an impartial judgment for a charge in determining the validation of any, and every account. Fabrication in memories, and inconsistencies in speech all encounters in the major discrepancies in relying on an eyewitness statement. This along with a higher rate of falsified incarcerations leads to a misguided decree in the justice system that will eventually concoct overcrowded prisons. In assisting this problem with Justice Department, action is needed by both the Federal and State governments; this action is not limited to checking the validation of each account by creating new stress-free anti-conviction agencies using a budget from high-cost building projects. These new agencies are to ensure that traditional procedural methods are conflict-free that DNA evidence is used as confirmation and that any records are handled carefully. This literature review considers dependence and government involve solving the problem of eyewitness misidentification by responding to the following questions.

What are the steps to obtaining a ‘valid’ eyewitness statement? What affects an eyewitness testimony? How do you qualify as an expert witness? Which of the following factors do the courts should consider when determining whether a suspect identification is reliable? How many people are wrongfully convicted based on eyewitness testimony?

Misidentification by eyewitnesses has played a role in a high number of wrongful convictions and has led criminal justice experts to look more closely at the effectiveness of identifying suspects from live and photographic lineups. (Haw, R.M. and Fisher, R.P. 2004). One of the problems with eyewitness misidentification is testimony in criminal cases.