controversy over eyewitness testimony in U.S. courts
The famous 20th-century comedian Groucho Marx once said, "Who are you going to believe? Me, or your own eyes?" Groucho
5 meant it as a joke, but it is no joke for the 77,000 people who eyewitnesses identify as criminals every year in the U.S.the fact is that eyewitnesses
10 frequently make mistakes. Eyewitnesses often cannot see the criminal clearly because of bad or the distance from the crime.
15 When eyewitnesses do have a good view, they are often too shocked to look at the criminal's appearance and concentrate on the
weapon instead. To make matters
20 worse, studies have shown that people find it more difficult to remember the appearance of people from another race. At least eyewitnesses usually choose the
25 right person in police lineups, but they almost always pick someone even if the criminal is not present.
In spite of all the problems, judges and juries are often
30 convinced by eyewitnesses. In one case in Virginia, police could not proven that the defendant was even in the same city when the crime was committed, but a very
35 confident eyewitness testified against him at trial. The man was found guilty and spent 11 years in prison before DNA evidence finally cleared him.
40 In recent years, DAN evidence has cleared more than 125 people. But how many other innocent people are behind bars today because
45 own eyes?