How Eyewitnesses Can Cause False Convictions

False convictions are an unfortunate part of the criminal justice system, and they happen more often than many people realize. In fact, DNA evidence has made these even more clear over the last few decades. This DNA evidence can often exonerate people who have already been convicted, proving that they were never at fault.

This is good for those who are exonerated, but it raises a few questions. The first, of course, is how many other false convictions exist but simply haven’t been disproven through DNA evidence. It stands to reason that there are many individuals behind bars who know they never did anything wrong, but they were convicted anyway.

The second question relates to the manner of these convictions. Studies find that inaccurate eyewitness testimony is one of the main reasons. So why is it that eyewitnesses are wrong frequently enough to put innocent people behind bars?

Potential reasons for eyewitness mistakes

There are many different reasons why eyewitnesses may give inaccurate testimony, and they may not even know they’re doing it in some cases. It could happen because:

• The event happened very quickly
• The witness didn’t have a good line of sight
• They were fixated on a weapon that was being used
• Their memory has changed over time, as memory isn’t as perfect as people assume
• The eyewitness is biased against the defendant and is intentionally changing the details

While there are undoubtedly some intentional cases, it’s more likely for the eyewitness to simply make a mistake. But when someone’s freedom and future hangs in the balance, it is important for them to know what legal steps they can take to counter this mistake and protect their rights.