Evaluating the Fairness of Lineups (From Adult Eyewitness Testimony: Current Trends and Developments, P 201-222, 1994, David Frank Ross, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-159543)

• NCJ Number: 159553
• Author(s): J C Brigham; J E Pfeifer
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 22 pages
• Grant Number(s): SES-8421030
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Sale Source: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Although the accuracy of eyewitness identification has long been a topic of debate, only within the last decade have social scientists taken serious steps to empirically investigate the issue.

Abstract

Early research in the area of lineup size and bias suggests that the likelihood of eyewitness misidentification is affected by the fairness of the lineup used. Lineup bias refers to the extent to which the suspect is distinctive from other lineup members. Lineup size is based on the premise that lineups should be large enough to ensure that the probability of a chance identification of an innocent suspect is low. Once a fair size is established, the lineup may still be subject to bias. Ways of measuring lineup bias are described, including proportion, functional size, suspect bias, and empirical assessment technqiues. The relationship between fairness measures and evaluations made by law enforcement personnel is discussed, and lineup fairness standards are examined. 25 references, 1 note, and 7 tables