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New Law Changes Lineup, Eyewitness Interview Procedures To Reduce Wrong IDs

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Governor Rick Scott has signed a bill into law seeking to improve Florida's eyewitness ID system.

In Florida, eyewitness misidentification has contributed to 64 percent of cases where DNA later led to an exoneration. So, the goal of the new law is to create a uniform procedure when it comes to conducting lineups for all law enforcement agencies to follow to avoid wrongful prosecutions, due to mis-IDs. Michelle Feldman with the National Innocence Project says it combines several best practices.

“One that a lot of smaller agencies use is the folder shuffle method, and that’s where you put the lineup photos in folders, you shuffle them, and then, you hand it to the witness one at a time, so the administrator can’t see which one is being viewed and that prevents any suggestiveness,” said Feldman.

The new law takes effect October 1st.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.