Seeing and Believing: Common Courtroom Myths in Eyewitness Memory

written by Nina Tupper, Melanie Sauerland, Lorraine Hope & Harald Merckelbach
edited by Emir Efendic

Conclusion

Whatever media accounts or TV series seem to propose- eyewitness evidence is here to stay. Furthermore, science does not argue that we should exclude eyewitness evidence in court. The science does argue, however, that eyewitness evidence always exists at the center of a web of a number of influential factors - all of which deserve scrutiny throughout all phases of an investigation and trial. In light of the misconceptions regarding memory, experts seek to increase sensitization among legal professionals to variables that impact eyewitness memory, allowing them to obtain more accurate evidence on the one hand, and appropriately evaluate the credibility of the eyewitness and the reliability of the evidence on the other. Failure to do this guarantees more regrettable cases like Anderson’s, where innocent suspects are left vulnerable to wrongful conviction and actual perpetrators are free to continue offending. Of any aspect of the intersection of the justice system and memory, seeking and considering scientific opinion in a realm outside of our expertise is simply an exercise in common sense.

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