Litigating Lineups: Why the American Justice System Is Keeping a Close Eye on Witness Identification
The single biggest cause of wrongful convictions is mistaken eyewitness identification. Is there a better way to find the right perpetrator?
Browsing Tag
Wrongful Convictions
15 posts
Why Fingerprints Aren’t the Proof We Thought They Were
Fingerprint matching is a vital investigative tool. But despite its legendary aura of infallibility, courtroom claims of fingerprints’ uniqueness are slowly receding.
Human Lie Detectors: The Death of the Dead Giveaway
Amateurs and experts alike overestimate their ability to divine truth and deception. But when criminal investigators do it, it can be very bad news for the accused.
Red Flags: Early Warnings of Wrongful Convictions
Experts find recurring themes in wrongful convictions. And while some jurisdictions are now creating in-house review units to ensure convictions are righteous, commonly repeated mistakes continue to mar cases.
A Porn Stash and a False Confession: How to Ruin Someone’s Life in the American Justice System
John Watkins' stash of pornography made him a look like a prime suspect for a rape in police and prosecutors' eyes. How they wrung a confession out of him and convinced a shaky witness to ID him offers textbook examples of how to achieve a wrongful conviction.