Eyewitness identification

• Author: Deja Vishny
• Pages: 707-752

EYEWITNESS

IDENTIFICATION

13-1

CHAPTER 13

EYEWITNESS IDENTIFICATION

I. INTRODUCTION

II. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES

A. Identif‌ication Procedures

§13:01 Procedures Used by Police and Prosecutors

§13:02 Contemporary Recommendations for Identif‌ication Procedures

§13:03 Other Helpful Sources

B. Law re: Admissibility

§13:04 Traditional Legal Test for Eyewitness Identif‌ication Admissibility

§13:05 Manson v. Braithwaite

§13:06 Alternatives to Manson Standard

§13:07 Modern Research on Mistaken Identif‌ication

[§§13:08-13:09 Reserved]

III. CHALLENGING AN EYEWITNESS IDENTIFICATION ON TRADITIONAL MANSON GROUNDS

A. Before the Hearing

§13:10 Start by Reviewing Investigation Procedure for Suggestiveness

§13:11 Enlist the Help of an Investigator

B. When a Pretrial Identif‌ication Procedure Was Used

1. Cross-Examine Off‌icers Involved re: Witness’ Description of Perpetrator

§13:12 Questions Asked of Witnesses in Every Case

§13:13 Questions re: Specif‌ic Description of Suspect

2. Cross-Examine Off‌icers Involved re: Pretrial Identif‌ication Procedures

a. Pretrial Show-up Identif‌ications

§13:14 Questions re: Suggestiveness of Viewing Conditions

§13:15 Challenges to Pretrial Show-up Identif‌ications

b. Photo File “Mug Book” Identif‌ications

§13:16 Governing Principles

§13:17 Cross-Examination Questions re: “Mug Book” Identif‌ication

c. Photo Array Identif‌ications

§13:18 In Practice: Put the Right Photos Before the Judge

§13:19 Cross-Examination Questions

§13:20 Arguing Photo Array was Suggestive

d. Live Lineup Identif‌ications

§13:21 Before the Hearing

§13:22 Cross-Examination Questions

§13:23 Arguing a Live Line-Up Should Be Suppressed

[§13:24 Reserved]

EYEWITNESS

IDENTIFICATION

Suppressing Criminal Evidence 13-2

C. When No Pre-Trial Investigation Procedure Was Used

1. Serendipitous Pretrial Identif‌ications

a. Governing Law

§13:25 Perry v. New Hampshire

§13:26 Case Law Post-Perry

b. Sample Case

§13:27 Facts

§13:28 Prepare for the Hearing

§13:29 Cross-Examine the Victim

§13:29.1 Brief Opportunity to View Robber

§13:29.2 Disguise Obstructed Facial Features

§13:29.3 Gun Focus

§13:29.4 Stress of the Event

§13:29.5 Description Given to Police

§13:29.6 No Identif‌ication from Police Photo Files

§13:29.7 Suggestive Identif‌ication

§13:30 Cross-Examine Police Witnesses

§13:30.1 Victim’s Description of Robber

§13:30.2 Gun Focus

§13:30.3 Photo Array

§13:31 Call an Expert to Testify

§13:32 Sample Argument

2. First-Time Identif‌ications in Courtroom

§13:33 Governing Principles

§13:34 Older Federal Court Decisions

§13:35 Recent Federal Court Decisions

§13:36 State Court Decisions Precluding First-Time In-Court Identif‌ication

[§§13:37-13:39 Reserved]

IV. CHALLENGING IDENTIFICATION BASED ON MODERN SCIENCE

A. Governing Principles

§13:40 Modern Science Allows You to Fully Develop Reliability Argument

§13:41 Due Process Analysis

§13:42 Rule of Evidence Analysis

B. Litigating Identif‌ication: Bringing Science into the Courtroom

1. Strategy and Tactics

§13:43 Before the Hearing

§13:44 Expert Testimony at Suppression Hearing

2. Sample Case

§13:45 Facts

§13:46 Cross-Examination of Law Enforcement Off‌icers

§13:47 Presenting Expert Testimony

§13:47.1 Qualify your Expert

§13:47.2 Topics for Questioning Expert on Direct Examination

V. FORMS

Form 13-1 Motion to Suppress – Showup Identif‌ication

Form 13-2 Motion to Suppress – Identif‌ication Unduly Prejudicial

Form 13-3 Summary of Expert Testimony

EYEWITNESS

IDENTIFICATION

13-3 Eyewitness Identif‌ication §13:01

I. INTRODUCTION

Eyewitness testimony is some of the most dramatic and persuasive evidence that enters into a courtroom. The

victim of, or witness to, what is often a serious and violent crime, such as a rape, armed-robbery or a shooting,

answers the prosecutor’s question, “Can you point out the man who did this to you?” The jury is all ears as the

witness tells them that the person who committed the horrible act is your client, seated next to you at counsel table.

The witness states she is 100% positive this is the perpetrator and she’ll never forget that face. The power of the

testimony cannot be underestimated; it is the emotionally moving piece de resistance of the government’s case,

which often moves jurors inexorably to reach a guilty verdict.

As powerful as this testimony is, it is frequently erroneous. The National Registry of Exonerations

1

listed 2,522

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major contributing factor. In sexual assaults, the number climbs much higher; 70% of all wrongful convictions in

  

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

existed, Edwin Borchard, a Yale law professor, noted in his 1932 book, Convicting the Innocent: Sixty-Five Actual

Errors of Criminal Justice 

a leading cause of false convictions.

  

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





convictions in the United States, and responsible for more wrongful convictions than all other causes combined, only

  



II. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES

A. Identif‌ication Procedures

§13:01 Procedures Used by Police and Prosecutors



• Showups.

within a relatively short time frame after the offense. The witness is usually located in a police squad car

and the suspect is clearly in police custody. No attempts are made to compare the known suspect with

others or to create ideal viewing conditions.

• 

to view multiple past booking photos to see if they recognize the perpetrator. In the past this was done



1     

-





