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Eyewitness Testimony In Court Cases

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Eyewitness Testimony

What would you do if you were a juror in a court room during a trial? Outside is a beautiful calm day where the sky was blue and the grass was green, but inside there was nothing but blood and tears and you had a serious decision to make. You stood in the front of the room, sweat on your forehead and knees buckled. On one side you have a loyal, non criminal alibis that states that this man was not at the scene of the crime, but on the other side you have an amazing, truly honorable, eyewitness that believes whole heartedly that the suspect on the other side of the room is, of course, the thief. Which side do you pick? Most would pick the side of the witness because after all they swore honorably on the bible that he/she would not lie. But does that really beat the physical evidence given by the defendant. Most cases leave with the defendant going to jail and then months to years later DNA is tested and the suspect or “thief” is found innocent. Was the eyewitness lying or did they really believe he was the criminal. Eyewitnesses are very faulty. There are many circumstances where a witness’ memory can be altered or clouded. Throughout the 1900’s to the late 2000’s scientists found that in 239 cases, 73% of them were wrongly convicted due to …show more content…

It is a hard thing to try and re-vision a horrible accident like a murder or robbery. Even if you try 110% some things you state will be false. Little things like the lighting in a room, or even the way an officer speaks, can change or vary a person’s memory. There are plenty other ways that a persons memory can be changed or blurred such as distractions during the event or questioning, if the case is personal to the witness, how the officers ask for information, how a lineup is set up, if the witness is experiencing any stress, just to name a few. Many things can alter a person’s long-term

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