Eyewitness testimony is what happens when an eyewitness gets up on the stand and recalls for the court all the details of the crime that they saw. It is also the complicated process leading up to the witness standing in that courtroom. This includes what happens during the actual crime to facilitate or hamper witnessing, as well as everything that happens between the criminal event and the courtroom appearance. This may include the witness being interviewed by the police — perhaps several times — and numerous lawyers, describing the perpetrator to several different people, making an identification of the perpetrator and other steps. This article addresses just a few of those steps.
In court, the testimony of victims and eyewitnesses is often trusted more than other kinds of evidence because the witnesses were present when the crime was committed and can describe what happened from their own memories. This kind of testimony is particularly compelling for several reasons.
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
