Eyewitness Identification

Eyewitness IdentificationGOALS:Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness identificationIdentify solutions to those causes.

Your IdentificationWrite down the following about the rooftop bomber:What was the suspect wearing?Was the suspect a female or male?What is the suspects ethnicity?How tall is the Bomber?What was the bombers hair color?What is the length of the suspects hair?What is the bombers eye color?What are some facial features of the suspect?How old is the bomber?

Eyewitness TestimonyCan be a useful tool for law enforcement.How?Analyzing a crime sceneCan have a big influence on the outcome of the case.Eyewitness challengesPeople tend to view the same scene in different ways depending on Their positionLine of sightFamiliarity with the areaOthers???Memory ChallengeYou will have 30 seconds to view the next slideTry to memorize all the items you see.

You CANNOT write anything downYou CANNOT talk to anyone.

Items to remember

What do you remember?You have 2 minutes to write anything you can remember.

How did you do?All 20 Awesome 15-19 Great10-14 Pretty swell5-9 Could be better 4 or Less Wake upCrime Scene ChallengeNow that your eyes and brain are warmed up, lets test your observation skills a bit more.You will have 2 minutes to study the photograph of a crime scene on the next slide. Try to pay attention to details as you will be asked 10 questions about the crime scene!You are not allowed to write anything down until after the time is up.Ready?

Questions1. What color coffee mug was in the picture? Blue Red Yellow 2. When was the deadline? Yesterday Today Tomorrow3. What time was on the clock on the wall? 10:40 11:05 1:55 4. How many sticky notes were on the whiteboard? Four Six Eight5. Which of the following was NOT in the picture? Stapler Trash Can Printer6. What was the name on the plaque on the desk? Bill Brian Carl 7. What color was the victim's shirt? Black Blue Red8. How many plants were in the picture? None One Two

9. What was the color of the marker in the desk drawer? Red Blue Green

10. Where was the book in the picture? On a box In the trash can Under the body

Did you know?According to The Innocence Project Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing.However the criminal justice system still relies on eyewitness testimony and identification for investigating and prosecuting crimes. (Wells and Olsen, 2003)WHY?Why Witnesses can be WrongImproper suggestions by police officers, media, inadvertent nonverbal communication.How can we avoid this?Witness inaccurate perception They are not trained in observation. Age, drugs used, etc.How can we avoid this?Cross Racial Effect (cross racial misidentification) people of one race have a hard time recognizing facial features of other races. Can we avoid this?

Your IdentificationWrite down the following about the suspect:What was the suspect wearing?Was the suspect a female or male?What is the suspects ethnicity?How tall is the suspect?What was the suspects hair color?What is the length of the suspects hair?What is the suspects eye color?What are some facial features of the suspect?How old is the suspect?

Why a witness may be WrongCrime Scene FactorsTraumatic crime scenes.Time of DayGun pointed at youThe witness viewpoint.Amount of time the Witness saw the suspect.Suspect FactorsHighly AttractiveHighly UnattractiveDistinctive lookingSimple Disguises can hurt identificationTatoos or body piercings help identification

Facial CompositesSketch of a persons faceWork with investigators and sketch artistsFacial reconstruction software (FACES)The composite may be used internally to help with identifying the suspectThe composite may be used externally to solicit leads.You will have a chance to try to create a facial composite.Think of Mrs. Hunter: As a group answer the following questions.The shape of her faceThe shape of her jawThe shape of her eyesThe shape of her noseThe width of her neckThe shape & protrusion of her earsThe presence of facial piercingThe presence of facial hair, its color, & locationThe presence of facial markings, such as scars or tattoosForehead or other facial linesThe presence of eyeglasses or sunglassesThe length, color, & texture of the persons hair

What did we learn?Reflecting on our goals for this lesson.Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness identificationIdentify solutions to those causes.Did we meet those goals?

Name one reason for witness misidentification.What is a solution to that issue/problem?