DNA evidence has changed how people look at criminal convictions. The reason for this is that DNA has definitively proven that there have been hundreds of false convictions. Many people have been released from prison and exonerated of their crimes after DNA evidence showed that they never committed the offenses in the first place.
While exonerations are a good thing, they do raise some difficult questions about the criminal justice system. Why do these false convictions happen? How concerned should defendants be that they may be convicted of a crime they never committed?
Eyewitness misidentification
While there are many potential reasons, the top one is eyewitness misidentification, according to the Innocence Project. In the majority of these cases, an eyewitness identified the wrong person as the perpetrator of the crime. This may not have been the only evidence against them, but it was presented to the jury and had a significant influence on their conviction.
Exactly why eyewitness misidentification happens can differ from case to case. In many situations, an eyewitness only gets a brief glance at a suspect during a criminal act they never expected to witness. They may not get a very good look at the person, so they simply pick the individual who looks the most like the suspect out of a lineup – even if it is the wrong person. In other cases, an eyewitness may simply misremember the events, as human memory is malleable and can change over time.
Your defense options
If you are facing criminal charges, it is important to be aware of the possibility of a false conviction. This is one of the reasons why you need to understand all of the legal defense options available to you.