Eye Witness Memory and Identification In the contemporary legal environment, an eyewitness plays a critical role in the legal system. A correct eyewitness identification has helped in advancing an investigation, and can be used to solve a complex case. Despite the importance of eyewitness identification in a legal system, eyewitness misidentification is being identified as the contributing factor to wrongful convictions based on the DNA testing. Typically, the eyewitness misidentification leads to 70% of wrongful convictions based on the DNA evidence in the United States. In cases after cases, it has been proven by the DNA that eyewitnesses are mostly inaccurate. For example, a review of 311 cases reveals that 73% of the convictions have been due to the eyewitness errors leading to wrongful convictions. Evidence have also revealed that eyewitness identifications can sway strong alibis, juries and police. Unfortunately, the memory of some eyewitnesses is either unable to recall events, or cannot recollect events accurately. One of the major factors affecting eyewitness identification is the eyewitness age. For example, the ability of young children and older adults identifying a suspect correctly is challenging. Moreover, alcohol and drug intoxicating level of an eye witness can impair a correct identification....
For example, the high or moderate level of alcohol intoxication is associated with a false identification. Some eyewitnesses who attempt to identify another race often show bias towards other ethnic groups often leads to incorrect eyewitness identifications. The length of the distance from the incident also affects a correct identification. Moreover, penetrators appearance at the time of incident affects a correct identification because some penetrators often disguise their faces during the incidents.
Troy Davis and the Lessons of DNA Exonerations Wrongful Convictions The Case of Troy Davis: What DNA Exonerations Can Teach Us about Wrongful Convictions When someone is wrongfully convicted of a crime they lose years of their lives to unjust sanctions, the perpetrator is free to continue victimizing others, and if it happens too often society loses faith in the criminal justice system. With the advent of DNA analysis some of this faith
Wrongful Conviction of James Henry Henry James was only 19 years during his conviction for rape that he did not commit. It is after thirty years imprisonment that the realization of his innocence emerges thereby keeping it free. This case is a good example of the importance of evidence in the proceedings of a case. The imprisonment of the innocent man arose because of the little evidence that he had against
Wrongful Conviction Review: Henry James Wrongful convictions are convictions where "factually innocent people are convicted of crimes" (Acker & Redlich, 2011, p.3). There are a number of ways that wrongful convictions can occur. Two of these ways are no crime convictions and wrong man convictions (Acker & Reclich, 2011, p.7-8). No crime convictions occur when someone is convicted of a crime, generally murder, and then it is later discovered that no
The over-enthusiasm associated with the extensive and unrestrained caution which the prosecutors avail gives birth to the settings in which a prosecutor is able to cause the conviction of an innocent individual. Besides, the mixture of over-enthusiasm and unimpeded discretion on one side and regular non-adversarialness on the other outcomes in an irregular playing field in majority of the defendants either guilty or innocent. (Griffin, 1274) The apparent cases of
Wrongful convicted people have also been seen to experience psychiatric dysfunctions, and long -- term difficulties re-integrating into the society. The convicted people lose income during pleading in their cases, they end up losing their assets, and those employed later get low earnings. The justice system should be a system of high integrity which people can put their faith, to ensure that justice is done to them. If laws
Research Question and Introduction Development Topic: Safeguarding the criminal justice system from wrongful convictions through an efficient innocence program Research Question: What aspects of the innocence program need improvement, and in what ways, in order to guard the judicial system from wrongful convictions? (Rossi, Lipsey & Freeman, 2004) Introduction Wrongful conviction is an abuse of justice. It entails the sentencing and subsequent punishment of someone for crimes they never committed (Huff & Killias, 2013).
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