Introduction to EyewitnessesToday’s Lesson Question:How reliable is testimony made by eye witnesses?

Today’s Objectives

Students will be able to:1) explain the difference between indirect and direct evidence;

2) discuss the limitations of eyewitness accounts

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Is Seeing Always Believing?

“Eyewitness accounts can provide important evidence leading to the arrest of criminal.  Juries are heavily influenced by eyewitness identification.” 

•How reliable is our vision?

•How accurate are eyewitnesses? 

•What might influence their accuracy?”

What can Effect Eyewitness Accounts?1) The type of crime and how the witness saw it. Witnesses

are more accurate at remembering some characteristics (sex, hair color) than others (height, age, specific race).  Stress allows tend to narrow a victim’s focus and impair their ability to remember specific details.

2) Some types of witnesses are better at remembering than others. Children don’t usually remember as well as adults do.  And older adults with poor eyesight or hearing may be less accurate than middle-aged or younger adults.

3) Interviewing techniques or how information is retrieved may also affect an eyewitness’s testimony.

4) Other factors include: whether or not the witness knew the accused, and how much time has transpired since the crime. 

 

“The forensic scientist is most interested in physical evidence. Physical evidence can be any material or object. It can take almost any form: as large as a building, as fleeting as an odor, as small as a hair, or even submicroscopic,  such as DNA evidence.  The variety of physical evidence is virtually unlimited, as is the uniqueness of the crime.   Physical evidence is generally much more reliable than testimonial evidence.”

How Observant are YOU?Activity #1:  “How observant are you?”  Adapted from an activity prepared by Shodor. 

Testimony about personal experience is frequently used during an investigation. •How accurately do people remember what they have seen? •What factors may play a role in what we can remember and describe about something we have witnessed?

Activity #1: How Observant are You?

Activity #1: How Observant are You?

Questions:1. Are there cars parked on both

sides of the road?2. What color is the pickup truck?3. How many minivans did you see?4. What does the blue sign say?5. What is the speed limit?6. Are there any pedestrians on the

road?

Activity #1: How Observant are You?

Answers:1. Yes2. Blue3. Two (maybe 3)4. That’s there a yard sale5. 35 mph6. No

How Observant Are Other People?•As you experienced, your own memory

can sometimes fool you, but what about other people’s memories?

•Try out this exercise to see how witnesses to the same scene remember different details. ▫Think about how useful an individual's

testimony can be. ▫Does it help to have several witnesses to a

scene?

Activity #2: How Observant Are Other People?Directions:

1) Choose several people to be Observers.  The rest of the class will play the role of Investigators. 2) Allow the Observers to look at a picture for 30 seconds. The Investigators should not look at the picture. 3) After 30 seconds, the Investigators should begin questioning the Observers.    4) Each Investigator should question each Observer. 5) Then, the Investigators should attempt to reconstruct the scene based on the "eyewitness testimony".