(AP) — The American legal system offers few moments as dramatic as an eyewitness to a crime pointing his finger across a crowded courtroom at a defendant. The problem is that decades of studies show eyewitness testimony is only right about half the time — a reality that has prompted a small vanguard of police chiefs, courts and lawmakers to toughen laws governing the handling of eyewitnesses and their accounts of crimes. Reform advocates say procedures long regarded as solid police work, from bringing a witness to a crime scene where he might see a suspect in handcuffs to the subtle encouragement of a detective during a police lineup, can fundamentally alter what someone believes they saw. Burns said criminal defense attorneys, groups that try to get wrongful convictions overturned and the American Civil Liberties Union are part of a bloc that is selecting outlier cases of prosecutorial misconduct or witness mishandling and applying that to the entire system. Law enforcement agencies must either adopt the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas' guidelines for lineups composed of people or photographs, or submit their own plan that conforms to the law. [...] the girls hadn't given any indication of their confidence in their choice of suspect initially, so it was impossible to later judge its value against their later certainty. Multnomah County, Ore., district attorney Rod Underhill said as a prosecutor, he's prepared to embrace the reforms but worries that the realities for small departments could turn a good law into a logistical nightmare.
Eyewitness Testimony No Longer A Gold Standard
By NIGEL DUARA, Associated Press, San Antonio Express-News: World
Fri, 04/18/2014 - 10:55am
BING NEWS:
- Britney Spears' two years of turmoil after being 'freed': Fears for 'isolated' star as she is seen barefoot outside LA hotel in concerning echoes of 2007 meltdown as ...
Having heard Britney's emotive testimony it was hard not to sympathise ... revealing that she has continued to take antidepressants despite no longer being required to by her conservatorship. In an ...
05/2/2024 - 11:37 pm | View Link - Menendez’s attorneys reveal new argument for why senator had gold bar stash
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has a new reason for having a treasure trove of gold and cash that law enforcement officers found in a raid on his home.
05/2/2024 - 1:27 pm | View Link - Gold on Weak Footing Amid Higher-for-Longer Rates
Gold (CM:XAUUSD) had been on the cusp of losing its glitter over the past few days as the U.S. Fed meet drew closer. Yesterday, the central bank left rates unchanged, while it waits for signs that ...
05/2/2024 - 3:45 am | View Link - Mitt Romney Brutally Takes Down Kristi Noem Over Puppy Murder
The most interesting part of Davidson’s testimony? Howard’s text message ... Towers Foundation said in a statement provided to New York Times reporter Michael Gold.
05/1/2024 - 1:39 am | View Link - Charlotte police offer update on those killed in shooting
CHARLOTTE ( QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Three members of the US Marshals Service and one CMPD officer were shot and killed, three other Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers were shot and injured, and another ...
04/30/2024 - 6:02 am | View Link - More
Welcome to Wopular
Wopular is an
online newspaper rack,
giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.
Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular,
MWB,
RottenTomatoes
MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site
- "Expendables 4" Starts Shooting This Fall, Says Randy Couture at the Arnold Sports Festival more
- “Expendables 4” Gets Funding Interest from “Ip Man 3” Financier more
- "Ip Man 3" Distributor Suspected of Box Office Fraud, Parent Company Loses $200M in Market Cap more
- Yen Targets "Ip Man 4" for 2018 Release; Discusses Film with Director, Producer more
- "Ip Man 3" Shatters Expectations with $72M Opening [China Box Office] more