Brief for Amicus Curiae the Innocence Project, Inc. in Support of Applicant
Innocence Project
SimpleOriginal

Summary

Hypnosis, suggestive identification procedures, repeated exposures, post-event misinformation, and memory contamination made the eyewitness identification unreliable based on modern scientific understanding of reconstructive memory.

2018 | State Juristiction

Brief for Amicus Curiae the Innocence Project, Inc. in Support of Applicant

Keywords Hypnosis; suggestive identification procedures; repeated exposures; post-event misinformation; memory contamination; eyewitness identification; unreliable; reconstructive memory; scientific understanding
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Summary

Hypnosis, suggestive identification techniques, repeated exposures, and misinformation introduced after an event can all make eyewitness identification unreliable. This is due to the modern scientific understanding that memory is reconstructive and can be contaminated.

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Summary

Modern scientific understanding shows that eyewitness identification can be unreliable. This unreliability stems from factors like hypnosis, suggestive identification methods, and repeated exposures to information. Post-event misinformation and other forms of memory contamination also play a role in making such identifications less dependable, especially when considering how memory is actively reconstructed.

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Summary

Modern scientific understanding shows that eyewitness identification can be unreliable. This is due to several factors. Hypnosis, suggestive procedures, and repeated exposures can all influence memory. Additionally, new information presented after an event, known as post-event misinformation, can contaminate a person's memory. These elements combine to make reconstructed memories less dependable for identifying individuals.

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Summary

Hypnosis and other methods changed what the person remembered seeing. This made their memory not trustworthy. Science shows that memories can be changed and are not always perfect.

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Footnotes and Citation

Cite

Brief for Amicus Curiae the Innocence Project, Inc. in Support of Applicant, Ex parte Flores, No. WR-64,654-02 (Tex. Crim. App. 2018)

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