JUSTICE Activity -- Witness Identification Problems
NAME: ________________________________
NBC News Report -- reaction --
1. You have an advantage over the law students in the video -- you know in advance what is going to happen. After the "crime" -- jot down as detailed a description as you can of the suspect (include height, weight, clothing, facial features, etc.)
2. The law students are given a photo line-up to see if they can identify the "criminal" -- see if you can pick out the suspect and jot down why you selected him.
3. Compare your description (question 1 above) to the NBC employee who performed the stunt. How close was your description to him?
4. Why do you think some of the law students were so much better at identifying the suspect than others? What problem does this pose for investigators of real crimes?
5. You see an example of the use of composite drawings in solving crimes. What are the strengths and the flaws in such drawings?
NBC News Report -- reaction --
1. You have an advantage over the law students in the video -- you know in advance what is going to happen. After the "crime" -- jot down as detailed a description as you can of the suspect (include height, weight, clothing, facial features, etc.)
2. The law students are given a photo line-up to see if they can identify the "criminal" -- see if you can pick out the suspect and jot down why you selected him.
3. Compare your description (question 1 above) to the NBC employee who performed the stunt. How close was your description to him?
4. Why do you think some of the law students were so much better at identifying the suspect than others? What problem does this pose for investigators of real crimes?
5. You see an example of the use of composite drawings in solving crimes. What are the strengths and the flaws in such drawings?