Questioning The Witness
A Series on Flawed Eyewitness Testimony and How Science Can Fix It (First Aired on New England Public Media, February 2021)
Scientists have long claimed that eyewitness testimony can be both highly convincing and incredibly unreliable.
In fact, according to the Innocence Project, almost three-quarters of convictions overturned by DNA evidence came down to bad eyewitness testimony. Observers say Massachusetts has made progress in making sure eyewitness testimony is accurate, but problems persist.
In this three-part series, New England Public Media’s Karen Brown looks at the evolving science of eyewitness testimony and the people with the greatest stake in how it’s used. (Listen on NEPM here.)
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Part 1: "I Was There, I Saw Him": Do Eyewitnesses Have Too Much Sway in Massachusetts Courts:
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Part 2: 'Why'd You Pick Me?' Eyewitness Reforms Offer Limited Help To Those Convicted Decades Ago
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Part 3: 'I Don't Think You Did This, But I Can't Fix It': How To Improve Eyewitness Evidence
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