Eyewitness identification is powerful and often faulty
Steve Chapman, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, and a member of the editorial board recently commented on the flaws of eyewitness identification evidence used at trials. This kind of evidence is often considered some of the most powerful evidence against a criminal defendant. In most trials, eyewitness identification is what is key to a conviction. But in many cases, despite the witness's confidence in her identification of the defendant, the witness was 100% wrong. There are numerous instances when an innocent person is convicted based in large part on the identification evidence presented at trial.