Mistaken Identity Issues
Mistaken Identity Issues and Reform In today’s world, mistaken identity is a serious set back for the criminal justice system. Mistaken identity can be caused from many different reasons. Some of those reasons include: the person’s stress, memory, and suggestions. If a person is put in a situation where there is high stress, it may be difficult for them to accurately recall what happened or whom they saw. For instance, if a person were to be in a convenience store when it’s being robbed, their initial reaction may be to hide and protect themselves rather than call for help. If a crime were to happen in a busy park, and the police are relying on potential witnesses’ memories of what happened or what the perpetrator looked like, they
may face issues. Its difficult for people to memorize specific details such as the time of the event, the order the event occurred and what the person looked like ( hair color, eye color, skin color, height, weight.). Using the witness’s memory as a solid piece of evidence seems to be too trusting. If a potential witness waits too long to give their statement, their memory may have faded in that time. As a case continues, officers or detectives may suggest to the witness who the suspect is in a line up. Or accidentally have the witness see the suspect. The officer could be using cues to let the witness know who the suspect is. I believe that eyewitness misidentification could be very useful in the criminal justice system as long as it has some guidelines to ensure that the witness is completely sure of the person they are testifying against. Perhaps officers or detectives could record the line up or have someone be a blind administrator that way you can visually see the detectives moves. And a blind administrator is someone who would have no influence on the suspect. I agree with Samaha’s idea of a sequential presentation, where instead of a group of potential suspects it’s one at a time. I believe that with guidelines in place, witnesses’ statements and testimonies can be a completely solid piece of evidence.
may face issues. Its difficult for people to memorize specific details such as the time of the event, the order the event occurred and what the person looked like ( hair color, eye color, skin color, height, weight.). Using the witness’s memory as a solid piece of evidence seems to be too trusting. If a potential witness waits too long to give their statement, their memory may have faded in that time. As a case continues, officers or detectives may suggest to the witness who the suspect is in a line up. Or accidentally have the witness see the suspect. The officer could be using cues to let the witness know who the suspect is. I believe that eyewitness misidentification could be very useful in the criminal justice system as long as it has some guidelines to ensure that the witness is completely sure of the person they are testifying against. Perhaps officers or detectives could record the line up or have someone be a blind administrator that way you can visually see the detectives moves. And a blind administrator is someone who would have no influence on the suspect. I agree with Samaha’s idea of a sequential presentation, where instead of a group of potential suspects it’s one at a time. I believe that with guidelines in place, witnesses’ statements and testimonies can be a completely solid piece of evidence.