The Florida Senate has unanimously approved a statewide standard for eyewitness identification.
A rash of wrongful convictions in recent years has shined a light on the shortcomings of eyewitness identification in criminal investigations. Advocates have pushed for a number of changes to the way law enforcement agencies conduct suspect line-ups, and Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) presented some of those proposals in the Senate floor.
“This is the bill that establishes a uniform procedure for conducting eyewitness identification,” Baxley said, “This will prevent misidentification, strengthen cases and avoid wrongful conviction.”
In live and photo line-ups the administering officer has to be unaware of the suspect’s identity to avoid prompting the witness. A similar proposal is heading for its final committee in the House.
