 GOALS:  Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness identification  Identify solutions to those causes.

 Write down the following about the rooftop bomber:  What was the suspect wearing?  Was the suspect a female or male?  What is the suspect’s ethnicity?  How tall is the Bomber?  What was the bomber’s hair color?  What is the length of the suspect’s hair?  What is the bomber’s eye color?  What are some facial features of the suspect?  How old is the bomber?

 Can be a useful tool for law enforcement.  How?  Analyzing a crime scene  Can have a big influence on the outcome of the case.

 People tend to view the same scene in different ways depending on …  Their position  Line of sight  Familiarity with the area  Others???

 You will have 30 seconds to view the next slide  Try to memorize all the items you see.  You CANNOT write anything down  You CANNOT talk to anyone.

How did you do? All 20 – Awesome – Great – Pretty swell 5-9 – Could be better 4 or Less – Wake up

 Now that your eyes and brain are warmed up, let’s test your observation skills a bit more.  You will have 2 minutes to study the photograph of a crime scene on the next slide.  Try to pay attention to details as you will be asked 10 questions about the crime scene!  You are not allowed to write anything down until after the time is up.  Ready?

 1. What color coffee mug was in the picture? Blue Red Yellow   2. When was the deadline? Yesterday Today Tomorrow   3. What time was on the clock on the wall? 10:40 11:05 1:55   4. How many sticky notes were on the whiteboard? Four Six Eight   5. Which of the following was NOT in the picture? Stapler Trash Can Printer   6. What was the name on the plaque on the desk? Bill Brian Carl   7. What color was the victim's shirt? Black Blue Red   8. How many plants were in the picture? None One Two  9. What was the color of the marker in the desk drawer? Red Blue Green  10. Where was the book in the picture? On a box In the trash can Under the body

 According to The Innocence Project “Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing.”  However the criminal justice system still relies on eyewitness testimony and identification for investigating and prosecuting crimes. (Wells and Olsen, 2003)  WHY?

 Improper suggestions – by police officers, media, inadvertent nonverbal communication.  How can we avoid this?  Witness inaccurate perception – They are not trained in observation. Age, drugs used, etc.  How can we avoid this?  Cross Racial Effect (cross racial misidentification) – people of one race have a hard time recognizing facial features of other races.  Can we avoid this?

 Write down the following about the suspect:  What was the suspect wearing?  Was the suspect a female or male?  What is the suspect’s ethnicity?  How tall is the suspect?  What was the suspect’s hair color?  What is the length of the suspect’s hair?  What is the suspect’s eye color?  What are some facial features of the suspect?  How old is the suspect?

 Crime Scene Factors  Traumatic crime scenes.  Time of Day  Gun pointed at you  The witness’ viewpoint.  Amount of time the Witness saw the suspect.  Suspect Factors  Highly Attractive  Highly Unattractive  Distinctive looking  Simple Disguises can hurt identification  Tatoos or body piercings help identification

 Sketch of a person’s face  Work with investigators and sketch artists  Facial reconstruction software (FACES)  The composite may be used internally to help with identifying the suspect  The composite may be used externally to solicit leads.

 The shape of her face  The shape of her jaw  The shape of her eyes  The shape of her nose  The width of her neck  The shape & protrusion of her ears  The presence of facial piercing  The presence of facial hair, its color, & location  The presence of facial markings, such as scars or tattoos  Forehead or other facial lines  The presence of eyeglasses or sunglasses  The length, color, & texture of the person’s hair

 Reflecting on our goals for this lesson.  Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness identification  Identify solutions to those causes.  Did we meet those goals?  Name one reason for witness misidentification.  What is a solution to that issue/problem?