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NJ decision on witness identification could have broad impact
A New Jersey Supreme Court decision ordering sweeping changes to how the state uses witness identification in criminal cases could have a broad impact and trigger legal challenges.
The state supreme court decision calls on New Jersey courts to take measures to address doubts surrounding the reliability of witnesses who identify criminal defendants, highlighting a growing awareness of flaws with relying on memory.
Judges must now consider several factors when determining witness reliability such as stress and timing of a positive identification, as well as race, the court said in a move hailed by criminal justice groups like the Innocence Project.
The decision could provide a roadmap for other states wrestling with the same issues, including concerns that misidentification of defendants can sometimes cause wrongful convictions. (Kolker, Reuters)
