Eyewitness Testimony Research Paper

How reliable is eyewitness testimony

Eyewitness testimony is a term used in the legal system to give an account of a criminal incident that has occurred. Mistaken eyewitness identification is responsible for many wrongful convictions. Eyewitness testimony has influenced jury decisions and served as compelling evidence. Eyewitness testimony has also validated evidence and gave a picture of the actual incident. The only problem with eyewitness testimony is that it is not credible. Eyewitness testimony that is done in the court allows the jury to hear the account of a crime from those not involved. Nevertheless, in court the eyewitness can recall everything they saw or witnessed. The way the eyewitness recalls their memory is the basis for the witness credibility influencing jury decisions. Also, when there is no DNA evidence, the eyewitness account is considered as compelling which allows evidence to be deemed as true. Inevitably, this is true when testimony is obtained directly after the incident or crime. …show more content…
Testimony given by an eyewitness helps obtain the proper sequence of events. When there is eyewitness testimony, there is a sense of understanding of what actually occurred. Consequently, in many instances there may be credible issues, but when combined with other evidence and a testimony the burden of proof becomes solid. Testimony also given by an eyewitness assists in helping to solve mysteries and allows answers to questions regarding cases and events. However, eyewitness testimony is highly persuasive to juries, as people really don't like to think about how flawed our memories actually are, particularly over time. That in and of itself is its own