Witness Essays

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

messages. The witnesses play the role of testifiers as they are telling the story of their history by providing their personal testimonies. According to Felman, a witness that testifies is taking responsibility for the truth, as history has to be told from the perspective of a witness to the event (Felman, 90). Furthermore, the function of a witness who testifies is to appeal to the heart of the audience as the story is personal (Wiewiorka, 143). Since the experience is being told from the first person

The prosecutors in the Wayne Williams case presented evidence and witnesses in the case. None of the witnesses, in this case, witnessed Wayne Williams commit any murders. The witnesses were there to testify about what they noticed Wayne Williams do, that was not normal or unusual. The testimony which was the most damaging was Angelo Foster who was a former press secretary to the mayor. He gave information about a conversation that he had with the defendant’s father. This conversation took place at

misinformation effect”) Another thing that can make it more likely to happen is talking to other witnesses about it. This can distort or change small details of the original memory. The reports given by other witnesses might conflict with your memory. Eye witness testimony is used in many court systems to figure out the correct verdict. “No matter what eyewitness testimony is in the court of law, it is the lowest form of evidence in the court of science.”(“Neil DeGrasse Tyson Quote.”) Although many people

and restoration of identity as a marker of existence, alongside the formation of community and the treatment of mourning. Take, for instance, the concept of (visual) witnessing. Instead of witnessing the actual event, most often the characters witness the effects, the trauma of crimes that have already been perpetrated. Additionally, Oondatje rarely gives accounts from the perspective of the

and testify against a prosecutor in any case, it is the fear of one’s safety and witness intimidation which is the reason many are hesitant to take action. An individual witness a violent crime in the neighborhood, and is able to identify the perpetrator, he should contact the authorities and testify against the criminal. Whenever someone is a witness to a crime, one’s should feel guilty if it is not reported. The witness of any crime should have integrity and do what is right and not fear what may

Actor Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” That quote is especially true when one thinks about Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo, Santiago from The Alchemist, and Odysseus from The Odyssey. Edmond, Santiago, and Odysseus each sustained their share of challenges and temptations, and were able to fight through them to attain their dreams and goals. Santiago, from the book The Alchemist

In 1984 Kirk Bloodsworth was convicted of the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl and sentenced to the gas chamber an outcome that rested largely on the testimony of five eyewitnesses. One third of these overturned cases rested on the testimony of two or more mistaken eyewitnesses. How could so many eyewitnesses be wrong? Eyewitness identification typically involves selecting the alleged perpetrator from a police lineup, but it can also be based on police sketches and other methods. Soon after

public defenders at the start of his case, then another but he disliked them. Later, Ramirez’ family hired 2 local lawyers who had never tried a death penalty case. The hearing itself took more than a year due to the substantial amount of evidence and witness testimonies. The testimonies themselves took 55 days, and 165 different witnesses were heard. Then on September 20, 1989, Ramirez was convicted of all charges,

committed to this day, and bystanders are forced into a difficult decision just as Germans in the Holocaust were: To speak out against these injustices and risk their lives, or to not step in. Considering different views and sources, when bystanders witness a crime, they have a responsibility to help. Others who do not agree with this claim may say onlookers should remain neutral and not risk their lives. In the poem "Hangman", after somebody speaks out against the injustices, the Hangman says

Introduction According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word homicide can be defined as “the taking of a person’s life by another human being”. This paper seeks to identify four important actions that should be taken by an investigating officer at a homicide crime scene, the importance of taking those actions and the consequences of not taking the proper course of action. 1. The Preliminary Investigation First and foremost, the job of an investigator is to focus on the specific aspects of

As to the direction the shots came from, the witnesses were undeniably divided. To explain this, it is important to understand not only the fragile nature of eyewitness testimony-particularly during moments of highly elevated stress, but also problems with eyewitness descriptions of gunfire in particular, as well as difficulties raised by specific conditions at the scene of the crime. The authoritative textbook, Firearms Investigation Identification and Evidence, states, "It is extremely difficult

Freedom Riders The purpose for the creation of the Freedom Riders was to have a nonviolent protest against racial discrimination. In an attempt to violate segregation laws in the south, the Freedom Riders were a mix of Blacks and Whites who, together, rode in small busses all the way from Washington D.C. to New Orleans. The Riders were hoping to get the movement into the deep south and wanted to start a national movement. Not only did the Riders have to be trained on what to do when violently attacked

Per Julie’s request I have made a summary of some of the witnesses that were called in the 2001 hearing transcript for a motion for a new trial. The specific witnesses in question are Donavan Rouse, Thrista Rouse, Lucritia Rouse, and Rosemary Rouse. All five of these witnesses maintained the same general story that they had lied in order to go back home, and that their uncles had never touched them in an inappropriate manner. All children also stated that the line of questioning from the FBI

Tire tracks, tire prints, and other vehicular data can be found at my crime scenes, but many times is overlooked or destroyed by crime scene investigators, police, weather, and strangers. Collecting, preserving and analyzing tire impressions and tire tracks can reveal the brand of tire, width of tire, unique wear and peculiarities to determine whether that vehicle was present at the crime scene. In 2007, the case of Brown v. the State (Coffee County, GA) Curtis Andrew Brown was arrested and convicted

who was a Jehovah’s Witness. She was twenty-eight-year-old when she was pregnant and refused a blood transfusion, which could have potentially saved herself and her unborn baby. The woman needed medical treatment because she was diagnosed with leukemia. She refused a blood transfusion because of her religious beliefs, and thus, refusal of treatment led to her baby dying and she passed away from an ischemic stroke (Meddows, Johnston & Sun, 2015). A dilemma about a Jehovah Witness woman was explored

scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge must be useful to the finder of fact in deciding the ultimate issue of fact.” Kruszka, 28 F. Supp. 3d at 926. In other words, the witness must have sufficient specialized knowledge to assist jurors in deciding the specific issues in the case. Id. Second, the witness must be qualified to render an expert opinion. Id. Third, the proposed evidence must be reliable. Id. The proponent

Twenty-seven stab wounds. A gunshot to the face. Throat slashed from ear to ear. These are not examples of multiple murders, but rather the gruesome details of Travis Alexander’s death (Archer, 2013). Jodi Arias, charged with his murder, consistently lied throughout the ordeal, changing her story three different times and demonstrating a history of deceiving people on even the smallest of details (Archer, 2014). To some, Arias came across as a manipulative psycho, while to others, she was a bit more

investigations. Sworn witness statements differ depending in the use and intention of the document. In terms of criminal investigations, the most common sworn witness statements are the ones taken by police or other members whom are commissioners of oaths. Sworn witness statements can also be used in civil matters but are usually drawn up by legal practitioners. Any person can take a witness’s statement but only when it is sworn as being true to a commissioner of oath does it become a sworn witness statement/affidavit

insufficient to qualify him as an expert in all areas. See, e.g., Robertson, 148 F.3d at 907; Kruszka, 28 F. Supp. 3d at 929. Indeed, “[a]lthough the competence requirement under Rule 702 has always been treated liberally, this does not mean that a witness is an expert simply because he claims to be.” Am. Family Ins. Grp. v. JVC Americas Corp., No. 00-27 DSD/JMM, 2001 WL 1618454, at *2 (D. Minn. Apr. 30, 2001).