Eyewitness Misidentification Access The Website For The Inno
Eyewitness Misidentificationaccess The Website For Theinnocence Projec
Eyewitness Misidentification access the website for the Innocence Project and the link on the site regarding misidentification of criminal suspects. View the video that discusses the Ronald Cotton case. After watching the video, write a one-page reaction paper to the video that answers the following questions: 1. What did you learn about the Innocence Project and eyewitness identification? 2. What surprised you the most? 3. What steps, if any, do you think should be taken to make the identification process more reliable?
Paper For Above instruction
The Innocence Project is an organization dedicated to exonerating wrongly convicted individuals through DNA testing and advocating for reform in the criminal justice system. The video about the Ronald Cotton case highlights the profound impact of eyewitness misidentification in wrongful convictions. It reveals that eyewitness testimony, although often considered compelling, can be highly unreliable due to various psychological factors, such as memory distortions, stress, and suggestive identification procedures.
From the video, I learned that the Innocence Project has successfully helped to exonerate numerous individuals exonerated through DNA evidence, emphasizing the importance of scientific evidence over eyewitness accounts alone. The case of Ronald Cotton exemplifies how a false identification made by a witness led to his wrongful imprisonment for over a decade. This underscores the gravity of relying heavily on eyewitness identifications without corroborating evidence.
What surprised me most was the extent to which memory can be faulty and the influence of suggestive police procedures on eyewitness identifications. I was particularly struck by the fact that even confident witnesses can be mistaken, highlighting how perceptions and memories are malleable. Additionally, the fact that mistaken identifications are one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions was eye-opening.
To improve the reliability of identification processes, several steps should be considered. First, law enforcement agencies should adopt more objective and standardized procedures, such as double-blind lineup assessments where the administrator does not know the suspect’s identity. Second, attorneys should be trained to recognize suggestive practices that can bias eyewitnesses. Third, the use of cognitive interviews or other techniques that help witnesses provide more accurate memories could be employed. Finally, the justice system should rely more on scientific evidence like DNA analysis to confirm identities rather than testimonial evidence alone.
In conclusion, the Ronald Cotton case and the work of the Innocence Project highlight the critical need for reform in how eyewitness identifications are conducted and evaluated. Improving these procedures can prevent wrongful convictions and uphold justice more effectively.
References
Innocence Project. (n.d.). Eyewitness misidentification. Retrieved from https://www.innocenceproject.org
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