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STAMFORD, Conn. A state task force studying eyewitness police lineups recently heard an expert discuss ways to reduce false identification of suspects, State Rep. Gerald Fox III said in the release.
Eyewitness identification is a critical law enforcement tool, but we have also learned that mistakes made during suspect lineups play a significant role in wrongful convictions, said the Stamford Democrat, head of the legislatures Judiciary Committee.
The specialist, Prof. Gary Wells of Iowa State University, outlined the findings of his published study on sequential vs. simultaneous lineups.
In the former, eyewitnesses view suspects, or photos of suspects, one at a time. In the latter, which are used by many police departments today, the witness sees all the suspects together. The task force is weighing the practical implications of a state law mandating sequential lineups, the release said.
The task force, headed by former Connecticut Supreme Court Justice David Borden, will submit recommendations to the Judiciary Committee by April 1, 2012, the release said.
Dr. Wells research will be very helpful as we work toward developing standards that will both reduce potential mistakes and increase accurate criminal identifications, Fox said.
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