Eyewitness Identification Resource Guide
Misidentifications
have contributed to the wrongful conviction of
more than 75% of the 213 people (as of
February, 2008) exonerated through
post-conviction DNA testing in the United
States. The single largest cause of wrongful
conviction, misidentifications plague our
criminal justice system from the
investigative stage through final disposition.
The Innocence
Project closely tracks all eyewitness
identification studies, in an effort to help
jurisdictions understand how such
misidentifications happen – and as importantly,
what can prevent them from happening. This
Resource Guide synthesizes the most important
information for those considering how to
improve the accuracy of eyewitness
identifications.
Mindful of the
different political landscapes of each state,
this Guide attempts only to provide its readers
with uncontested scientific research, grounded
in years of examination and endorsed by a wide
range of justice and
law enforcement organizations, such
as the National Institute of Justice and the
International Association of Chiefs of Police.
The average citizen
might assume that eyewitness identifications
are typically accurate, and that DNA
exonerations are anomalous flukes.
Surprisingly, however, studies show that the
rate at which eyewitnesses select non-suspect
from photo and live lineup members during the
course of an identification procedure hovers
around 20%. Of the 213 post-conviction
exonerations proven through DNA testing to
date, over 75% included at least one
misidentification. These facts demonstrate
that misidentifications are not irregularities,
but rather common occurrences in the course of
criminal investigations.
Misidentifications
not only harm the innocent, but damage the
ability of law enforcement to properly
investigate crime. Inaccurate eyewitness
identifications can “burn witnesses” and
otherwise confound investigations from the
earliest stages. Time is a critical factor in
a successful criminal investigation; when a
misidentification distracts police from the
real perpetrator, the potential for justice
diminishes, while the threat to public safety
increases.
Download the Guide