Final answer:
A tainted identification occurs when an in-court identification of a suspect is improperly influenced by an out-of-court identification, which can lead to wrongful convictions. Efforts have been made to reduce suggestibility in eyewitness testimony, such as improving interview techniques and photo lineup procedures.
Step-by-step explanation:
An in-court identification that is influenced by an improper out-of-court identification is called a tainted identification.
Courts often rely on eyewitness identification and testimony, but such evidence can be vulnerable to suggestion and error. The Innocence Project and studies by social scientists have highlighted this issue by showing that eyewitness misidentification is a leading cause of wrongful convictions. When out-of-court identifications are conducted improperly, such as using suggestive procedures or not following protocols to prevent influence, the subsequent in-court identification of the suspect may be tainted, leading to potential miscarriages of justice.
There have been efforts to reduce the suggestibility of eyewitnesses, such as modifying interview techniques and implementing blind photo lineups. Furthermore, some judges may inform jurors about the potential for misidentification and may suppress eyewitness testimony if deemed unreliable.