Key Question - Eyewitness Testimony

Question 1

Faulty eyewitness testimony in 1969

Answer 1

Laszlo Virag was accused in 1969 of stealing money from parking meters and using a firearm. Despite his alabi and other contradictions, he was identified by eight eyewitnesses as the guilty party. While he was in prison, it was discovered that another individual was guilty of the crime

Question 2

Faulty eyewitness testimony in 1972

Answer 2

Luke Dougherty was accused of shoplifting after being identified by eyewitnesses as the perpetrator as the guilty party. He was eventually cleared

Question 3

Which report followed, and what did it find?

Answer 3

These instances led to the Devlin Report after an investigation by the Devlin Committee, which found that eyewitnesses overestimated their ability to single out the right person. The Devlin Report found eyewitness testimony to be unreliable

Question 4

Prior to the report, how many cases in 1973 alone used EWT as the only source of evidence?

Answer 4

Prior to the report, in 1973 alone, 850 cases used EWT alone as the only source of evidence, with the accused being found guilty in 74% of these cases