Is eyewitness testimony unreliable?

Is eyewitness testimony unreliable?

1. Meaning

   • EWT: recalled memory of a witness to a crime/incident

2. Relevance

   • Affects society as a whole
     • Juries rely on EWT
     • Inaccurate EWT = false conviction
       • Unnecessary prison costs
     • Possible miscarriage of justice
   • Affects individuals in society
     • Guilt of inaccurate EWT
     • False accusations/convictions

3. MSM

   • For accurate transfer to LTM...
     • Witnesses need to think about the incident
     • Rehearsal of the event
   • Unreliable EWT...
     • Decay as no rehearsal