This week: Line them up! Edited by: Arakun the Twisted Raccoon  
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Quote for the week: There is absolutely nothing in this world that will provide more comfort and happiness than a testimony of the truth.
~Thomas S. Monson
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Witness testimony is an important part of solving criminal cases, but it is not perfect. Our memories can fail us, especially when we try to recall traumatic events. If a person is standing over you with a gun, for example, you might remember him as being bigger than he actually is. Some times witnesses or victims may not have gotten a good look at the person who committed the crime. It may have been dark, he may have been running away, or he might have had part of his face covered.
When witnesses are shown a suspect and asked if he is the person who committed the crime, they may feel pressure to make a positive identification. People often forget that "suspect" does not automatically mean "guilty party." They might assume that if he is a suspect, he must be guilty, especially if he has similar characteristics to the person they saw commit the crime. They might feel they are letting the investigators or other victims down if they can't remember enough about the criminal to make an identification.
A police lineup is an attempt to make sure witness identification of a suspect is accurate. In a lineup, the actual suspect is presented to the witness along with four or five other people (usually police officers or employees) who have nothing to do with the crime. The witness is asked if the person who committed the crime is among them, and if so, to point him out. The lineup may be done in person or with photos.
In TV shows, lineups are often done in person, because it is more dramatic, but in real life, photos are often used. An in person lineup is harder to organize, because you need to have find several people who look similar to the suspect. Also, the victim or witness is required to see the suspect in person, which might be difficult for a victim of violent crime, even though the suspects are positioned behind one way viewing glass, and can't see the witness.
Even when the witness positively identifies a suspect in a lineup, they still can make mistakes. They might assume they have to choose one of them, and pick the one who looks the most like their memory of the person who committed the crime. In fact, the suspect might be innocent, and the true guilty party might not be present at all.
Investigators need to be sure they do not do anything to influence the witness's choice. For example, they might make the true suspect stand out in some way. The other people might all be of a different race, or significantly taller or shorter than the suspect. The other people might be all dressed in suits while the suspect is dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. If photos are used, the suspect's photo might be larger than the others or placed in the center. Some psychologists believe that witness identifications from photo lineups are more accurate if the photos are shown one at a time rather than all together. Usually, the suspect's attorney is required to be present, so they can see that the investigators don't intimidate the witness or give clues to the identity of the actual suspect.
Even if the investigators don't intentionally lead the witness, the witness might pick up on unconscious body language from the investigator when the true suspect is shown. In order to avoid unintentionally influencing a witness, some police departments use a double blind presentation of suspects. In a double blind presentation, the lineup is presented by a third party who does not know which person is the actual suspect.
Something to try: Write a mystery story which involves witnesses identifying suspects out of a lineup.
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Mystery: January 16, 2019 Issue [#9328]
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