KEY ISSUE: Are EWTs Reliable?

KEY ISSUE: Are EWTs Reliable?

1. EWT refers to the recalled memory of a witness to a crime or an incident

2. They're recorded on a police statement or given in a verbal testimony as evidence in court

3. Lots of controversy as to whether EWT is accurate & reliable

4. Why is EWT important?

   • Sometimes no forensic evidence at crime scene
     • May be no convictions for crimes if EWT wasn't taken into account
   • Forensic evidence is complex. Jurors may lack ability or confidence to interpret it. But, they can relate to confident witnesses, often rely on EWT rather than scientific proof

5. EWT and Court

   • Loftus 1979
     • Had participants act as jurors. They had to judge a defendant accused of robbery
     • With circumstantial evidence, on 18% found the defendant guilty
     • This increased to 72% when an eye witness identified the defendant
     • Demonstrated how one eye witness can sway jurors, even when all other info is held constant
   • Loftus and Ketcham 1991
     • Suggested that when EWT is used, innocent individuals are wrongly convicted 45% of the time
     • There have been cases where people have been found guilty on EWT only

6. Why is being an eye witness hard?

   • Pressure- person's future is in eye witnesses hands
   • Our memories aren't tape recorded
   • Memory is thought to be an imaginative reconstruction that is based on assumptions and beliefs
     • Bartlett termed in reconstructive memory
   • Our memories may be able to play tricks