Unreliable Eyewitness Identifications Still (Tragically) in the News
by: Ryan • September 19, 2011 • no comments
A list of media reports regarding eyewitness identifications can be ample resources .
The issue arises in the worst possible way with the impending execution of Troy Davis. A brief discussion is here. A New York Times editorial is here. Here is a longer explanation of how the evidence against Mr. Davis was quite literally "staged."
A local story of unreliable eyewitness identification can be found in Steve Duin's Oregonian column here.
The reason that the criminal justice system struggles with this issue in particular is that the witnesses aren't lying. They are sincere and honest and convincing and wrong. The criminal justice system is ill-equipped to assess this kind of evidence. And tools such as cross-examination are sadly inadequate.
