Some Problems with Eyewitness Identification
Ronald D. Rotunda · Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal · 2017
Eyewitness identification is both the most persuasive and often the unreliable testimony.Why it is persuasive is easy to understand.The witness testified under oath that he or she actually saw the individual (often a criminal defendant) at the department store on the day of the robbery, pull a gun on the clerk and abscond with the cash in the register.Yet, we have very persuasive evidence that identifications are often unreliable.According to the National Registry of Exonerations, as of March 1, 2012 (the most recent figures), there were 873 exonerations.Of this group, 37% were exonerated with the help of DNA evidence; 63% without the use of DNA.Since 2000, exonerations have averaged 52 a year, or one a week, and 40% of them include DNA evidence.The most common causal factor that contributed to these exonerations is perjury or false accusation (51%).The second most common reason