Criminal Eyewitness Testimony
Eyewitness testimony, or the sworn oath of persons who believe they have witnesses a crime, or portion of a crime, has long been studied in both the fields of criminology and psychology. Research shows that a jury, for one, tends to convict a person when there is eyewitness testimony present by two to one odds. However, research also shows that criminal eyewitness testimony has the very real potential of being incorrect, and in fact has played a role in more than 75% of overturned and wrongful convictions using new criminological techniques and DNA testing (Eyewitness Misidentification, 2011). Thus, there is a very real concern with the contemporary judicial system that even at the best of times and with the best and most credible witness, eyewitness testimony is often suspect.
Literature Review -- The three articles under consideration are quite detailed in their literature review, citing examples from sociological, psychological, and criminological fields over the past several decades. Legal scholarship, however, both in criminology and criminal law, is typically based on one of two premises: how to best utilize eyewitness testimony in a given courtroom situation and/or how to best overturn any sense of accuracy that an eyewitness may have imparted to the jury. Most of the literature cited were various permutations of injustices proven later from eyewitness testimony, yet all cited more modern psychological research showing advances in human memory and cognition studies that debunk the validity of most recalled memories viewed once under extenuating circumstances (Benton, et.al., 2006; Clarke and Godfrey, 2008; Duke, et al., 2007;
Research Variables Duke, et.al., rely specifically on research reviews from both psychological and criminological studies to amass their data and viewpoint regarding the incorrect and widespread use of eyewitness testimony. Benton, et.al., and Clark and Godfrey, however, focus far more on the psychological literature, as well as their own research variables that focus on short- and long-term...
Criminal Investigations History of criminal investigations The first "detective force" dates back to 1750, when a small group of community members called the "Take Thieves" banded together and rushed to crime scenes to investigate (Swanson, 2003). This group, spearheaded by Henry Fielding, eventually led to the founding of a police force in London (Swanson, 2003). The next famous "father of criminal investigation" is Robert Peel, who authored the twelve "Peel's Principles," outlining
Eyewitness Testimony Current Event in Criminal Justice The Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony The execution of Troy Anthony Davis on September 27, 2011, in Georgia has stirred new debate over the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Davis was convicted of the August 19, 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. Working a security guard at a Burger King, MacPhail was shot when he attempted to defend a man being assaulted in a
Criminal justice administration mainly focuses on crime prevention and punishing any illegal activities. Criminal justice administration is wide and it entails law enforcement and the judicial administration. Some of the jobs that relate to criminal justice administration include; security coordination, juvenile delinquency administration, law enforcement and being a courtroom official. Additional crime is also part of criminal justice administration. This field entails terrorism prevention, immigration policies and social policies. Other
Criminal Justice: The Death Penalty Reasons for topic selection Causes of racial prejudice and discrimination Juvenile in delinquent society theory Culture and values Official and unofficial values The effectiveness of the death penalty The death penalty is irreversible The death penalty is barbaric Changes to the death sentence Implemented changes Sentencing guidelines Bifurcated trials Automatic appellate conviction review Proportionality review The importance of proposed changes Anticipated outcome Life imprisonment; alternative to death sentences The costs Decency standards Overall efficiency Policies in support of incarceration Conclusion References Background Despite the controversy over how effective it is
Thus while an interviewer may simply be trying to pin down additional details of an incident (for example), the eyewitness may believe that she or he is being challenged about the accuracy of his or her memory and statement and begin (again, most likely unconsciously and not in any attempt to commit perjury) to shift answers to coincide with what the witness believes the interviewer want to hear (Poole
Eyewitness and Recalling Shook hands I shook hands with Bugs Bunny... Describe and evaluate the role of schemas and stereotypes on recalling past events. What implications does this have for the accuracy of eyewitness accounts of events? I shook hands with Bugs Bunny... Describe and evaluate the role of schemas and stereotypes on recalling past events. What implications does this have for the accuracy of eyewitness accounts of events? Literature on Schemas Literature on Schemas
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