Psychological Theories Of Police Work And Eyewitness...

Per your request, I have researched some psychological factors in criminal investigation that could have played a role in Mr. Bloodsworth’s conviction. The areas that I have chosen to focus on are confirmation bias, the two young boys as witnesses, and criminal profiling. In this memo, I will identify the major problems in police work and eyewitness identification that were present in Mr. Bloodsworth’s case by using and describing the psychological theories and research findings from the Psychology and Law course I took. Summary of the Case In Rosedale, Maryland Dawn Hamilton, a nine-year girl, was found dead in a wooded area, having been beaten and sexually assaulted. Mr. Bloodsworth was arrested for the crime after identification by a witness from a police sketch made public on television and an anonymous caller told police hotline he recalled seeing him with the victim that day. At trial, five witnesses testified that they had had seen Mr. Bloodsworth with the victim; however, two of those witnesses were unable to identify Mr. Bloodsworth in a lineup. Although there was no physical evidence connecting our client to the crime, he was convicted and sentenced to death row. Mr. Bloodsworth has maintained his innocence throughout his trial and continues to maintain it. Psychology Analysis Wrongful witness identification was a major component of Mr. Bloodsworth’s wrongful conviction. Witness accounts of the offender suggested that he was well over 6 feet tall had curlyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Problems with Eyewitness Testimony1395 Words   |  6 PagesEyewitness testimony has been used for many centuries and continues to be a part of our criminal justice system. Although, there has been many controversy debates on whether to allow the continuation of these testimonies in court, and allow it to be used as evidence. Eyewitness testimony can either be harmful or useful for an individual. We must fully analysis and see what certain factors (psychological, and age wise) come into the equation before coming up with final conclusions. A case studyRead MoreCriminal Profiling the Popular Tv Shows 21594 Words   |  7 Pageson evidence and common sense, or reasoning. Criminal Profiling is a Forensic Science, and like any Science, is concluded by theories and patterns, and more often than not, a crucial part to determining who a suspect could be when no eye witnesses are available. A criminal profiler will create a psychological profile of a suspect to aid Law Enforcement in the identification and location of the suspect by merely what they know about human behavior, motivation, and mental illness. (www.wcupa.edu.)Read MoreThe Innocence Of Eyewitness Testimony1828 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Research shows that jurors place more value on eyewitness testimony than any other important form of evidence, including DNA. (Anderson, T. M.,2015). More often than we might think, the eyewitness testimony is false, ultimately leading to false convictions, and possibly the death of an innocent person. According to the Innocence Project (2014), inaccurate eyewitness testimonies and identifications make up about 72% of the current 329 wrongful convictions that have been later overturnedRead MoreEssay about The Unreliability of the Eyewitness2135 Words   |  9 Pagesfinger, accompanied by the solidifying eyewitness statement â€Å"He’s the one!† is enough for a jury to make its final decision in a court case. 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Other leading causes in wrongful convictions include improper forensics, false confessions, informants, and bad lawyering. â€Å"The authors argue that traditional sources of error (eyewitness misidentification, false confessions, perjured testimony, forensic error, tunnel vision, prosecutorial misconduct