During the past two weeks of class, we've been discussing both the power of eyewitness testimonies, but also how unreliable memories can be. People do not realize how difficult it is to accurately identify someone even when a witness may be paying close attention to their surroundings.
This activity allows you to play the part of an eyewitness and accurately "describe" the person. Although incredibly over simplified, it illustrates that it's not as easy as it may seem. I did the exercise a few times, varying the amount of time I looked at the top picture to mimic a situation in which I only saw the perp for a few seconds. I may have a horrible memory, but I didn't do well at all. To have this kind of evidence be taken as absolute truth in a court of law with no other supporting evidence would be tragic and unfair.
http://www.quickflashgames.com/games/eye-witness/
This activity allows you to play the part of an eyewitness and accurately "describe" the person. Although incredibly over simplified, it illustrates that it's not as easy as it may seem. I did the exercise a few times, varying the amount of time I looked at the top picture to mimic a situation in which I only saw the perp for a few seconds. I may have a horrible memory, but I didn't do well at all. To have this kind of evidence be taken as absolute truth in a court of law with no other supporting evidence would be tragic and unfair.
http://www.quickflashgames.com/games/eye-witness/
Leave a comment