Eyewitness testimony has often been used by the court system to show what happened from the witness’ point of view. According to Scientific American magazine, “surveys show that most jurors place a heavyweight on eyewitness testimony when deciding whether a suspect is guilty.”
With this in mind, psychologists have questioned the reliability of eyewitness testimony, showing evidence of memories becoming faulty during or after the crime has been committed. The courts in Illinois have finally caught up to speed with this research.
On Monday, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in favor of jurors more frequently being allowed to hear expert testimony on the unreliability of eyewitness identifications. This ruling opens a new chapter for Criminal Defense. Instead of jurors being heavily influenced by these eyewitness identifications, they will be cautioned and educated about the credibility of these accounts.
Although this may be a huge leap for Illinois Courts, most state courts still disallow expert testimony on the errors of eyewitness testimony. Therefore, we still have a long way to go to ensure innocent people are not being punished by a flawed measure of evidence. Nicole Rhim
If you or a loved one is involved in a case with a lack of expert eyewitness testimony, call the Law Office of Edward Johnson today. The Law Office of Edward Johnson will set up a meeting and free consultation with you immediately. Call 708.606.4386 for help today.
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