Guilty Or Unconscious Transference?

Unconscious transference is when a witness misidentifies an innocent person for a criminal. This is because the witness has seen the individual before, and is therefore part of his/ her memory. These defendant identifications are very persuasive to a jury since it provides them with proof that the defendant is guilty in the witness’s eyes. But, unconscious interference that the witness deals with can lead to many uncertainties and problematic issues. Firstly, it is not uncommon for witnesses to make errors about where they have seen individuals before. This is evident when a witness is asked to identify the criminal in a courtroom. The witness generally identifies the individual that looks familiar, even if that person had nothing to do with the crime. I think
He/ she chooses whom they think the criminal is based on little confidence. After that, it is hard for them to change their mind, as that initial decision will never be forgotten, and it will influence the witness in future events. As a result, it is possible that an innocent person could go to jail. Thirdly, being in a courtroom is very suggestive; everyone in the courtroom knows who the defendant is and that he/ she is supposedly guilty. This gives rise to pressure on the witness because any bit of uncertainty could demonstrate hesitation which could cause the jury to question if the defendant is indeed guilty, which could be problematic in the future.
Fourthly, the justice system is a very lengthy process; most trials take place many months after the initial crime. This makes it difficult for the witness, because after so long their memory begins to fade, and as a result, they do not have a clear memory to guide them through proper identification. Therefore, the witness is susceptible to following their initial criminal identification more so than if the crime was more recent, which could lead to a false