The police can then create a lineup entirely of African Americans in their 50s and one Hispanic male in his 30s. For example, the witness might initially identify the suspect as a Hispanic male in his 30s. Police sometimes try to “steer” a witness to positively identify someone by putting together an unduly suggestive lineup or photo array. Was The Line-Up Or Photo Array Unduly Suggestive? However, both lineups and photo arrays can also be leading under certain conditions. Essentially, the police are signaling to the witness that this person is the focus of the investigation. Show-ups are rare because they are usually too suggestive or overly leading. The police can put together an array of 6-9 photos and see if the witness can identify a particular suspect. The police then ask the witness if they recognize the suspect in the lineup. The suspect stands in a line with other people, called “fillers.” These are people the police do not suspect of committing the crime. They then ask the witness if the person present is the same person who committed the crime. The police show the witness the suspect and no one else. There are different techniques the police use: If the police suspect you were part of the robbery, they might have the tellers try to identify you. For example, after a bank robbery, the police will often interview the tellers. Were You Identified Out Of Court?Įyewitness identifications are usually a powerful piece of evidence the police can use to arrest you. Contact an experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney today to begin building your defense. However, eyewitness identifications are vulnerable to certain challenges.Īt George Law, we understand how to challenge police lineups and other confrontations. If you have recently been identified or believe someone might identify you, you might feel like the walls are closing in. If someone saw you commit a crime, the odds are high that they positively identified you in a lineup or by looking at a photo array. The criminal justice system greatly values eyewitness testimony.
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