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Eyewitness Identification

Eyewitness Identification. GOALS: Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness identification Identify solutions to those causes. Your Identification. Write down the following about the rooftop bomber: What was the suspect wearing? Was the suspect a female or male?

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Eyewitness Identification

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  1. Eyewitness Identification

  2. GOALS: • Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness identification • Identify solutions to those causes.

  3. Your Identification • Write down the following about the rooftop bomber: • What was the suspect wearing? • Was the suspect a female or male? • What is the suspect’s ethnicity? • How tall is the Bomber? • What was the bomber’s hair color? • What is the length of the suspect’s hair? • What is the bomber’s eye color? • What are some facial features of the suspect? • How old is the bomber?

  4. Eyewitness Testimony • Can be a useful tool for law enforcement. • How? • Analyzing a crime scene • Can have a big influence on the outcome of the case.

  5. Eyewitness challenges • People tend to view the same scene in different ways depending on … • Their position • Line of sight • Familiarity with the area • Others???

  6. Memory Challenge • You will have 30 seconds to view the next slide • Try to memorize all the items you see. • You CANNOT write anything down • You CANNOT talk to anyone.

  7. Items to remember

  8. What do you remember?You have 2 minutes to write anything you can remember. How did you do? All 20 – Awesome 15-19 – Great 10-14 – Pretty swell 5-9 – Could be better 4 or Less – Wake up

  9. Crime Scene Challenge • Now that your eyes and brain are warmed up, let’s test your observation skills a bit more. • You will have 2 minutes to study the photograph of a crime scene on the next slide. • Try to pay attention to details as you will be asked 10 questions about the crime scene! • You are not allowed to write anything down until after the time is up. • Ready?

  10. Questions • 1. What color coffee mug was in the picture? Blue Red Yellow • 2. When was the deadline? Yesterday Today Tomorrow • 3. What time was on the clock on the wall? 10:40 11:05 1:55 • 4. How many sticky notes were on the whiteboard? Four Six Eight • 5. Which of the following was NOT in the picture? Stapler Trash Can Printer • 6. What was the name on the plaque on the desk? Bill Brian Carl • 7. What color was the victim's shirt? Black Blue Red • 8. How many plants were in the picture? None One Two • 9. What was the color of the marker in the desk drawer? Red Blue Green • 10. Where was the book in the picture? On a box In the trash can Under the body

  11. Did you know? • According to The Innocence Project “Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing.” • However the criminal justice system still relies on eyewitness testimony and identification for investigating and prosecuting crimes. (Wells and Olsen, 2003) • WHY?

  12. Why Witnesses can be Wrong • Improper suggestions – by police officers, media, inadvertent nonverbal communication. • How can we avoid this? • Witness inaccurate perception – They are not trained in observation. Age, drugs used, etc. • How can we avoid this? • Cross Racial Effect (cross racial misidentification) – people of one race have a hard time recognizing facial features of other races. • Can we avoid this?

  13. Your Identification • Write down the following about the suspect: • What was the suspect wearing? • Was the suspect a female or male? • What is the suspect’s ethnicity? • How tall is the suspect? • What was the suspect’s hair color? • What is the length of the suspect’s hair? • What is the suspect’s eye color? • What are some facial features of the suspect? • How old is the suspect?

  14. Why a witness may be Wrong • Crime Scene Factors • Traumatic crime scenes. • Time of Day • Gun pointed at you • The witness’ viewpoint. • Amount of time the Witness saw the suspect. • Suspect Factors • Highly Attractive • Highly Unattractive • Distinctive looking • Simple Disguises can hurt identification • Tatoos or body piercings help identification

  15. Facial Composites • Sketch of a person’s face • Work with investigators and sketch artists • Facial reconstruction software (FACES) • The composite may be used internally to help with identifying the suspect • The composite may be used externally to solicit leads.

  16. You will have a chance to try to create a facial composite.Think of Mrs. Hunter: As a group answer the following questions. • The shape of her face • The shape of her jaw • The shape of her eyes • The shape of her nose • The width of her neck • The shape & protrusion of her ears • The presence of facial piercing • The presence of facial hair, its color, & location • The presence of facial markings, such as scars or tattoos • Forehead or other facial lines • The presence of eyeglasses or sunglasses • The length, color, & texture of the person’s hair

  17. What did we learn? • Reflecting on our goals for this lesson. • Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness identification • Identify solutions to those causes. • Did we meet those goals? • Name one reason for witness misidentification. • What is a solution to that issue/problem?

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