Answer: C. Eyewitness testimony can be accurate or inaccurate, depending on a variety of factors.
Explanation: Although eyewitness testimony can provide valuable evidence, it can also be influenced by factors such as stress, memory decay, unconscious bias, and suggestion. Therefore, the accuracy of eyewitness testimony depends on a variety of factors and cannot always be relied upon as completely accurate or unreliable.
Memory decay
Memory decay is the gradual fading of memory over time. When an eyewitness tries to recall an event that happened a long time ago, their memory can be affected by memory decay. This is because the details of the event can become less clear in their mind, and they may fill in the gaps with assumptions and inferences. For example, if a witness was asked to recall a robbery that happened six months ago, they may forget some of the details of the event, such as the color of the getaway car or the exact time of the robbery.
Suggestion
Suggestion is when someone or something influences an eyewitness to remember something that did not happen. For example, if a police officer asks an eyewitness leading questions, such as "Did you see the man with the gun?" the witness may start to believe they saw a gun, even if they did not. Similarly, if an eyewitness hears other people's accounts of the event before giving their own testimony, they may unintentionally adopt details from those accounts.
Stress
Stress can also affect an eyewitness's ability to remember an event accurately. When someone is in a stressful situation, their body produces adrenaline, which can impair their ability to pay attention to details and make them more prone to making mistakes. For example, if a witness is held up at gunpoint during a robbery, they may not have been able to pay attention to the details of the perpetrator's appearance or the location of the crime.
Unconscious bias
Unconscious bias is when an eyewitness's beliefs, values, and personal experiences affect their memory of an event. For example, if an eyewitness has negative views about a particular race or gender, they may unconsciously exaggerate or minimize the role of a person of that race or gender in an event. Similarly, if an eyewitness has a personal connection to one of the parties involved in a crime, they may unintentionally skew their testimony in their favor.
Examples of inaccurate eyewitness testimony
One well-known example of inaccurate eyewitness testimony is the case of Ronald Cotton, who was convicted of rape based on the testimony of the victim, Jennifer Thompson. Thompson identified Cotton as her attacker in a police lineup and again in court. However, after serving over a decade in prison, DNA evidence exonerated Cotton, and he was released. Thompson later revealed that she had misidentified Cotton and apologized to him.
Another example is the case of Jamie Snow, who was convicted of murder based on the eyewitness testimony of one witness, who claimed to have seen Snow at the crime scene. However, DNA evidence later showed that the witness had been mistaken, and Snow was released after serving 19 years in prison.
