On the unreliability of eye-witness evidence

http://www.newsweek.com/id/189294

Wells has been studying mistaken identifications for decades, and his objection to the eyewitness-identification system is not that people make mistakes. In an interview, he explains that eyewitness evidence is important, but should be treated—like blood, fingerprints and fiber evidence—as trace evidence, subject to contamination, deterioration and corruption. Our current criminal-justice system allows juries to hear eyewitness-identification evidence shaped by suggestive police procedures.In a 1977 case, Manson v. Braithwaite, the Supreme Court held that such evidence could be used ifdeemed "reliable."Today we know you can have a good long look, be certain you have the right guy and also be wrong. But Manson is still considered good law.

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his is not an issue that tracks the usual left-rightdivide. Some of the most zealous reformers of the eyewitness-identification process are lifelong conservatives who recognize that the credibility of the whole justice system is on the line each time an innocent man goes to jail and a guilty one walks free.

The good news is that most of the commenters agreed that there's a serious problem, many of them as a result of having been jurors.

Link thanks to The Agitator.

On the unreliability of eye-witness evidence

http://www.newsweek.com/id/189294

Wells has been studying mistaken identifications for decades, and his objection to the eyewitness-identification system is not that people make mistakes. In an interview, he explains that eyewitness evidence is important, but should be treated—like blood, fingerprints and fiber evidence—as trace evidence, subject to contamination, deterioration and corruption. Our current criminal-justice system allows juries to hear eyewitness-identification evidence shaped by suggestive police procedures.In a 1977 case, Manson v. Braithwaite, the Supreme Court held that such evidence could be used ifdeemed "reliable."Today we know you can have a good long look, be certain you have the right guy and also be wrong. But Manson is still considered good law.

****

his is not an issue that tracks the usual left-rightdivide. Some of the most zealous reformers of the eyewitness-identification process are lifelong conservatives who recognize that the credibility of the whole justice system is on the line each time an innocent man goes to jail and a guilty one walks free.

The good news is that most of the commenters agreed that there's a serious problem, many of them as a result of having been jurors.

Link thanks to The Agitator.

Update on Icelandic culture

In a recent post, I linked to a Michael Lewis article which had rather a lot to say about Icelanders.

The real world strikes back at Metafilter.

Briefly, Lewis wasn't there very long and knows less than he thinks about Iceland, though he's good on the financial side.

Bumping into people is more a matter of Icelanders not looking where they're going (possibly not yet having acquired urban habits), and both men and women do it. Or maybe that's a serious oversimplification, too.

Link thanks to Jennifer in the comments at Unqualified Offerings.

Update on Icelandic culture

In a recent post, I linked to a Michael Lewis article which had rather a lot to say about Icelanders.

The real world strikes back at Metafilter.

Briefly, Lewis wasn't there very long and knows less than he thinks about Iceland, though he's good on the financial side.

Bumping into people is more a matter of Icelanders not looking where they're going (possibly not yet having acquired urban habits), and both men and women do it. Or maybe that's a serious oversimplification, too.

Link thanks to Jennifer in the comments at Unqualified Offerings.

If you'd been in a coma for 15 years,

what are the first three things you'd ask when you woke up?

What comes to mind for me, at least for the first question, is "How is sf fandom doing?". Ok, it's my home subculture.... but there's a rational excuse-- the answer would say something about the general prosperity level and mass communication tech.

Question stolen from Marginal Revolution-- there are some interesting questions in the thread there.

If you'd been in a coma for 15 years,

what are the first three things you'd ask when you woke up?

What comes to mind for me, at least for the first question, is "How is sf fandom doing?". Ok, it's my home subculture.... but there's a rational excuse-- the answer would say something about the general prosperity level and mass communication tech.

Question stolen from Marginal Revolution-- there are some interesting questions in the thread there.