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Old Nov 26, 2011 | 9:11 pm
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halls120
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Originally Posted by ScatterX
OK. Any attorney's or police officers want to answer this question?
Ron's assertion that eyewitness testimony is "notoriously inaccurate" is wrong.

Yes, there can be problems with eyewitness testimony. Yes, this testimony has been shown, through the use of DNA evidence, to result in a significant number of false convictions. Witness or victim recollection is perishable, and has to be handled as such. The accuracy of eyewitness identification depends on several factors, including perception, memory, communication, and candor. Even trained observers - law enforcement officers, for example - can make erroneous identifications in the heat of the moment.

But to suggest that it is "notoriously inaccurate" demonstrates the OP's utter lack of understanding of the criminal justice process. Eyewitness testimony can be a powerful and accurate tool in the prosecutor's tool kit, and when used carefully, is invaluable.
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