Witness Evidence

[abaris]

Just to be clear.  I don't doubt that the studies show that certain aspects of witness testimony. I only doubt the conclusion that testimony is not to be trusted at all, or is wholly or even mostly inaccurate.   I'll try to write some comments on the studies provided within a few days

Personal experience from back in '84. The only time I really witnessed something I had to give testimony on. Once a week, I used to drive my mom to a big mall and when we hit the parking lot, I noticed something just a little bit off. There were a bunch of people carrying sacks from a backdoor to a car. The only reason I even took note was, because they were dressed like a working crew, but the car they loaded up was a simple sedan. Not a truck or a Van.

I didn't think much of it, until I saw the news this evening. It was a high profile robbery, without any violence involved and even the police officer interviewing me later, showed a bit of admiration for their planning. Anyway, the only thing I got right, was the model of the car. Everything else I believed to remember turned out to be wrong. I even identified one of the robbers in a police allbum, but the guy couldn't have done it, since he was already doing time.