And research shows that once you introduce a gun, a perpetrator of a different race, bad lighting, and police interference, the risk of misidentifying someone rises considerably. dramatic case of cross-racial misidentification. In 1984 a young woman named Jennifer Thompson was raped by a man who broke into her home in the middle of the night. As we close out 2020, donate to justice in the new year —. Certain details like a person’s appearance, hair and eye color, weight, and height typically get overlooked. The empirical evidence demonstrates that eyewitness misidentification is " 'the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions in this country.' Studies conducted over the last five years have shown … United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 228 (1967) [defendant entitled to counsel at post-indictment lineup as a “critical stage” of judicial process] (“The vagaries of eyewitness identification are well known; the annals of criminal law are rife with instances of mistaken identification. • In 50% of the misidentification cases, eyewitness testimony was the central evidence used against the defendant (without other corroborating evidence like confessions, forensic science or informant testimony). The Problem . (Innocence Project 1999) In 1907 or 1908, Hugo Munsterberg published “On the Witness Stand”; he questioned the reliability of eyewitness identification. Still, in most states and the federal system, there are no standardized, evidence-based guidelines for introducing and evaluating eyewitness evidence once a case goes to trial. Eyewitness misidentification Want to write? (Innocence Project 1999) In 1907 or 1908, Hugo Munsterberg published “On the Witness Stand”; he questioned the reliability of eyewitness identification. They are now good friends and travel around the country working to spread the word about wrongful convictions and reforms – especially for eyewitness identification procedures – that can prevent future injustice. This was the case for Malcolm Alexander, who fell victim to an incorrect eyewitness identification, an incompetent defense attorney, and lost evidence. Of Virginia's 16 DNA exonerations, 13 involved eyewitness misidentification. The Cotton case fits a larger and troubling pattern among all the DNA cases I studied. Ronald Cotton was robbed of more than a decade of his life due to one of the most pervasive and intractable problems in the criminal justice system: eyewitness misidentification. Moreover, the biological material needed for DNA testing is not … The evidence at trial included a flashlight found in Cotton’s home that resembled one used by the assailant and rubber from Cotton’s shoe that was consistent with rubber found at one of the crime scenes, but overwhelmingly the evidence rested on the identification and the flawed eyewitness identification procedures used by police at the time. In January 1985, Cotton was convicted by a jury of one count of rape and one count of burglary. 5 in the photo above. In that case, the eyewitness testimony likely cost human lives: Police had in fact noted the Chevrolet at several of the crime scenes but did not stop or check out the car because the police and public were focused on the non-existent white van reported by eyewitnesses. increasing attention to the problems in the cases of wrongfully convicted individuals, has brought the fal- libility of eyewitness memory to the fore. One factor in his wrongful conviction was eyewitness misidentification. The answer is yes, eyewitness testimony is important, but it is dangerous to rely on as a sole source of evidence. One factor in his wrongful conviction was eyewitness misidentification. United States, 390 U. S. 377; Foster v. California, 394 U. S. 440; Neil v. Biggers, 409 U. S. 188; and Manson v. Brathwaite, 432 U. S. 98. Courtney spent 8 years in prison for a sex crime he did not commit before proving his innocence through DNA testing. There are also a significant number of wrongful conviction cases in which multiple eyewitnesses were mistaken and the conviction rested entirely on that evidence. The rape, which took place in 1979, was linked to Malcolm Alexander solely by eyewitness identification. Ronald Cotton Time Served: 10 years Ronald Cotton was exonerated in 1995, after spending over 10 years in prison for crimes he did not commit. Mr. by Jeff Chinn | Jul 8, 2013. As the crime took place, Thompson carefully studied the appearance of her assailant and later identified him as Ronald Cotton -- who spent over 10 years of a life sentence in prison before DNA … He wound up spending 11 years in Gitmo thanks to a misunderstanding of the word “salad.” His case reads like the plot of a hilarious, torture-based farce. Mistaken Eyewitness Identification Did you know that over 75% of cases overturned through DNA testing involved eyewitness error? Eyewitness misidentification can potentially lead to wrongful convictions in a number of ways. In this list we will explore some of the reasons for wrongful convictions and the ramifications of the failings of eyewitness testimony. Not so that of 14-year-old Mohammed Al-Gharani, nabbed in Pakistan. Eyewitnesses statements often play a vital role in securing criminal convictions – police surveys show that eyewitness testimony is the main form of evidence in more than 20% of cases… Jack Daniel McCullough was freed in 2016; decision left door open to new prosecution. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. But study after study shows that it is very easy to misinterpret what one observes, and even easier to fill in missing information with false memories. According to the Innocence Project, a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals, 342 people have been exonerated as a result of DNA analysis as of July 31, 2016.The Innocence Project lists six “contributing causes” for wrongful convictions: 1. Story highlights. Consider the case of Ronald Cotton. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing cases from the Innocence Project. Before the original trial an eyewitness was shown a picture of Burton and informed by the interrogator that it was the murderer. "In this case, it was a girl." Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: In July 1984, an assailant broke into Jennifer Thompson-Cannino’s apartment and sexually assaulted her; later that night, the assailant broke into another apartment and sexually assaulted a second woman. Certain details like a person’s appearance, hair and eye color, weight, and height typically get overlooked. But at least the CIA’s mistakes were understandable in many cases. Ronald Cotton In one famous case, 22-year-old college student Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by an intruder in her bedroom. Still, in most states and the federal system, there are no standardized, evidence-based guidelines for introducing and evaluating eyewitness evidence once a case … Write an article and join a growing community of more than 118,600 academics and researchers from 3,811 institutions. At the trial, the victim was 100 percent certain. There have been 260 exonerations across the country based on forensic DNA testing with 3 out of 4 involving cases of eyewitness misidentification. The Innocence Project states that "Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing." ... faces of suspects one by one reduces misidentification. In eyewitness identification, in criminal law, evidence is received from a witness "who has actually seen an event and can so testify in court".. %��������� "This was a prosecution that stood or fell by eyewitness identification alone," said Lord Gill, the lord justice-clerk at Mills's appeal. The criminal justice system puts a lot of faith in eyewitness testimony, but it actually is highly unreliable. Isn’t eyewitness identification important in a murder conviction?” The answer is yes, eyewitness testimony is important, but it is dangerous to rely on as a sole source of evidence. What are the top 5 causes of eyewitness misidentification? " 5 Researchers have found that a staggering 76% of the first 250 convictions overturned due to DNA evidence since 1989 involved eyewitness misidentification. In eyewitness identification, in criminal law, evidence is received from a witness "who has actually seen an event and can so testify in court".. The criminal justice system puts a lot of faith in eyewitness testimony, but it actually is highly unreliable. Yvonne Cook examines the methods being used to improve the accuracy of eyewitness evidence ... role in more than 75 per cent of its cases. Eyewitness identification is a high risk area that does need improvement. Of the 321 exoneration cases, 29 occurred in New York. << /Length 4 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> ), Contributing Causes of Conviction: Eyewitness Misidentification, Unvalidated or Improper Forensic Science, The Alternative Perpetrator Identified: Yes. found mistaken eyewitness identification to be implicated in 56 of these); Arye Rattner, Convicted but Innocent: Wrongful Conviction and the Criminal Justice System, 12 L. & HUM. Soon after his release, Cotton got a job in the warehouse of LabCorp, the company that tested the DNA evidence that proved his innocence. He also married, had a child, and bought a piece of land to live on. Rattner carefully examined over two hundred cases and found that 52.3 percent resulted from eyewitness misidentification. Mistaken eyewitness identifications are a leading cause of wrongful convictions in the United State ’ s Court System. Eyewitness Misidentification. Through her terror, Thompson tried … The five victims of a kid-napping, rape, and robbery episode, all of whom spent several hours with the perpetrator, each identified a man who subsequently was proved to have been several hundred miles away at the time of the of-fense. ), Burglary (2 cts. A famous case of mistaken identity in the United Kingdom is the case of Adolf Beck, who served several years in prison as a swindler, was released upon completion of his sentence, and then arrested again on the same charges before the actual swindler of similar appearance was apprehended. The textbook discussed the case of Jennifer Thompson, who was sexually assaulted, and then falsely identified Ronald Cotton of this crime. On June 30, 1995, Cotton was officially cleared of all charges and released from prison. Kirk Bloodsworth. Summaries of 46 Cases in Which Mistaken or Perjured Eyewitness Testimony Put Innocent Persons on Death Row Adams, Randall Dale (convicted 1977, exonerated 1989) — Mr. Adams was sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer in Dallas County, Texas. August 26, 2013 . A purported eyewitness, who in fact The samples from one victim were tested and showed no match to Cotton. According to statistics, over 75% of the cases of DNA exonerations have involved mistaken eyewitness identification. According to the Innocence Project, a mistaken eyewitness identification was present in nearly 75 percent of all DNA exonerations. The Innocence Project states that "Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing." Of the 43 DNA exonerations in Texas, the most of any state, more than 80 percent were due to mistaken eyewitness identification, as were all nine of … An eyewitness’ false identification of an innocent suspect as the perpetrator of a crime, or “eyewitness misidentification,” is the single greatest cause of wrongful conviction in the U.S. • Fifty-three percent of the misidentification cases, where race is known, involved crossracial misidentifications; • In 50% of the misidentification cases, eyewitness testimony was the central evidence used against the defendant (without other corroborating evidence like confessions, forensic science or informant testimony). Of the more than 200 people … Eyewitness misidentification is the leading cause of wrongful conviction in America. Studies conducted over the last five years have shown … He was sentenced to life in prison plus fifty-four years. A recent case is a good example. The Cotton case fits a larger and troubling pattern among all the DNA cases I studied. g��� �UN���ƽ�{���.^���P,W�7�^����|�����ȿ���X,h�l�)\���)��E��bG6��a��l��D�F���e��ONH+-����2k�o�l]>0P.�$�r�J!�\� JZ'�����`�6u��gE5�C^�. In July 1995, the governor of North Carolina officially pardoned Cotton. Thompson-Cannino and Cotton met for the first time after his exoneration. xڵ]Yw�V�~ǯ�c���ݗ~s���q��ќ~�DA&bP@Ҋ��T���� D19�cn�U���G�K�G�bn��Qʘ���`�H:o���y������g�\v�f���V�_����3xRV���Y����.n~���F��n���?������|������?���]����������,��'�/�r%��1���E���s�������:x���]����}W���&�}W����n�ˢ��U�+�����=�f��s�Z_�:o���e���-��^���ο���%;|��^��j]��U~W��ղ�_�n��?꺙��_a���u�cY������W On May 3, 1982, in a Norfolk, Va. circuit court, the 29-year-old was convicted of a rape that he did not commit and was sentenced to five life sentences. Eyewitness misidentification played a role in approximately 72 percent of these cases, making it the most common contributor to wrongful convictions. Last year saw a record number of exonerations, three-quarters of which centered on people who had been falsely convicted on the basis of a misidentification. His convictions were based largely on flawed eyewitness identification procedures used by police at the time. In 1984 a young woman named Jennifer Thompson was raped by a man who broke into her home in the middle of the night. Informants (e.g., jailhouse snitches) 6. Despite the scientific consensus that eyewitness testimony is unreliable and the Supreme Court’s recognition that “the annals of criminal law are rife with instances of mistaken identification,” eyewitness identification testimony remains among the most convincing evidence presented to jurors (Manson v. The process of eyewitness identification has been found to be flawed in many ways and can potentially send an innocent person to prison. Juries here in Wisconsin and around the country are often convinced by testimonial accounts from eyewitnesses. Whether due to perjury or eyewitness/victim error, innocent people are spending time behind bars for crimes they did not commit. Eyewitnesses statements often play a vital role in securing criminal convictions – police surveys show that eyewitness testimony is the main form of evidence in more than 20% of cases… stream In a second trial, in November 1987, Cotton was convicted of both rapes and two counts of burglary. March 25, 2008— -- Julius Earl Ruffin knows all too well how inaccurate eyewitness identification can be. These cases detail the approach appropriately used to determine whether due process requires suppression of an … I feel that unless there is other evidence to back up these reports it should be emphasised to juries how unreliable eyewitness statements can be so injustices are less likely to occur. His conviction was based primarily on eyewitness misidentification, as the victim and her husband both chose the innocent man’s picture out of a photo lineup. 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