Tyrone Hicks, 57, was cleared of all charges on Thursday after spending eight years in a New York prison for an attempted rape in 1998 that he did not commit. Hicks’ wrongful conviction was a consequence of eyewitness misidentification—no physical or…
Numerous studies have shown that eyewitness identification of a suspect is a problematic form of evidence – eyewitness misidentification has played a part in nearly 75% of wrongful convictions overturned through DNA testing. Nevertheless, eyewitness testimony is an incredibly influential…
Jonathan Fleming was exonerated on April 8th after spending nearly 25 years in prison for a 1989 murder in Brooklyn, New York that he did not commit. Fleming, 51, was released after new evidence was discovered in his case, including…
The Vermont Senate passed important legislation last week to help ensure that criminal investigations are as fair and accurate as possible. S184 is designed to reform eyewitness identification procedures so that lineups are given by an officer not investigating the…
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in cooperation with the Department of Justice and the Innocence Project, will make 30 recommendations for changes in the way law enforcement officials conduct investigations, in an effort to prevent cases of…
Eyewitness misidentifications have played a part in almost half of the nation’s 1,063 exonerations since 1989. Studies show that witnesses frequently select the incorrect suspect due to influence, often unintentional, from the police. Based on these studies, best practice reforms…
Joseph Frey was exonerated with the help of attorneys at the Wisconsin Innocence Project after spending nearly 20 years in prison for a wrongful conviction. In 1994, Frey was convicted of sexually assaulting a female college student at knifepoint and…
Courts and police in the District of Columbia will be changing their policies on eyewitness identification and informants after several wrongful convictions. The changes come at the recommendation of a task force created by D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Lee…
On November 30, 2012, Alfonso Gomez became Orange County’s ninth exoneration based on eyewitness misidentification, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. During Gomez’s trial, deputy district attorney Howard Gundy told the jury that the two witnesses who identified Gomez…
The Oregon Supreme Court unanimously ruled earlier this month to change the way that eyewitness identification can be used in criminal trials. The ruling shifts the burden of proof to prosecutors. The prosecution must now show that identification evidence is…
