Monday 19 September 2011

False Memory

Eye witness testimony was more commonly used before technology and investigations collaborated. However, This was not the most accurate solution to identifying the criminal or what really happened. Memory is subjected to change and whenever a memory is forced out of the brain, it is bound to be changed.  On August 1, 1984, Ronald Cotton was arrested for the rapes. In January 1985, Cotton was convicted by a jury of one count of rape and one count of burglary. In a second trial, in November 1987,Cotton was convicted of both rapes and two counts of burglary. An Alamance County Superior Court sentenced Cotton to life plus 54 years. 

The victim claimed she had memorized her attackers face, But when she was shown many pictures and asked to identify the person who did it. She picked the wrong one,she was convinced that it was him. When Ronald Cotton demanded that they run tests,the tests revealed that it wasn't him and it was another prisoner. When the confronted the victim,she was convinced it was Ronald not the other man,even though he was right in front of her.  Her  memory had altered itself to place Ronald Cotton in the place of the crime. I think that Eye witness testimony shouldn't be used in courts because it isn't accurate.

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