The Flaw in Eyewitness Testimony

Ronald Cotton (right) was convicted of rape solely on the basis of eyewitness testimony by Jennifer Thompson (left). He spent 11 years in prison until DNA evidence established that he could not have committed the crime and that the real rapist was another man. After his release, Cotton and Thompson became friends and advocates for eyewitness policy reform. In thinking about cases in which an eyewitness provides the only evidence against a suspect, a critical thinker would ask: How accurate is eyewitness testimony, even when the witness is the victim and got a good look at the assailant? How trustworthy are our memories, even of traumatic events? Psychological scientists have learned some surprising answers to these questions, as you might have guessed after reading this chapter.