Stacking a lineup is a suggestive police identification procedure where the lineup is constructed so that the suspect noticeably stands out from the other individuals presented to the eyewitness. This practice can improperly influence the witness to select the suspect, artificially inflating their certainty and increasing the risk of false identification.

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According to researchers Gary Wells and Deah Quinlivan, certain police identification methods can improperly influence a witness's memory and confidence. These suggestive procedures include creating lineups where the suspect is noticeably different from the others, directly telling the witness who to identify, or providing positive reinforcement like 'Good choice' after an identification is made. Such actions can artificially inflate a witness's certainty, regardless of the accuracy of their choice.

Suggestive Police Identification Procedures

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

A blind photo lineup is a police identification procedure designed to prevent suggestive cues. In this method, the officer administering the lineup is unaware of which photograph belongs to the suspect, thereby minimizing the chance of unintentionally influencing the witness's choice.

Blind Photo Lineups

Read the following scenario. Identify at least two procedural errors made by the detective and explain how each could improperly influence the witness's memory and level of certainty.

Analysis of a Witness Identification Scenario

The case of Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton illustrates how suggestive police identification procedures can lead to absolute, yet false, certainty in an eyewitness. Thompson's initial uncertainty about her attacker evolved into absolute confidence after suggestive procedures, leading to her compelling testimony that helped wrongfully convict Cotton.

Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton Eyewitness Case

Stacking Lineups

Telling the witness which person to identify is a suggestive police identification procedure that directly instructs or heavily implies to the eyewitness who they should pick from a lineup or photo array. This undermines the independent memory of the witness and greatly increases the likelihood of a false identification.

Telling the Witness Which Person to Identify

Confirming witness choices is a suggestive police identification procedure where officers provide positive feedback to an eyewitness after they make an identification, such as saying "Good choice" or "You picked the guy." This post-identification feedback can artificially inflate the witness's certainty in their selection, even if the identification was incorrect.

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