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Kansas Supreme Court Examines Accuracy of Eyewitness Accounts

By Steve Hall

That's the title of a news report from the Wichita Eagle written by Ron Sylvester.  It's subtitled, "Jurors believe confident witnesses ? but should they?" The Kansas Supreme Court is considering whether to change how judges guide juries in evaluating eyewitness testimony.Currently, juries follow instructions based on 30-yearold case law. Some say they should be following modern scientific research.The justices heard arguments last week in the case of a Wichita man, Michael T. Mitchell, who was convicted of robbery based on the eyewitness testimony of the victim.Even witnesses who are certain they know who committed a crime against them can be wrong, studies show. Still, jurors tend to believe confident witnesses.Such a contradiction has led to hundreds of wrongful convictions across the country, according to cases where DNA evidence has exonerated the accused...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on September 22, 2010 (boomark / email).