Final answer:
Evidence that undermines eyewitness testimony includes DNA evidence or scientific measurements, alibis, the suggestibility of witnesses, blind photo lineups, and juror education about the unreliability of such testimonies. These measures help prevent wrongful convictions that may arise from fallible and influenced eyewitness accounts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pieces of evidence that can disprove an eyewitness' account of a crime include the following:
- Scientific Measurements: In many cases, physical evidence or scientific measurements can contradict an eyewitness account. For example, DNA evidence can exonerate individuals who have been wrongfully accused based on faulty eyewitness identification, as has been shown by the Innocence Project.
- Presence of an Alibi: Hard evidence proving that a suspect was elsewhere at the time the crime was committed, such as in the case of Donald Thomson, who was on live TV when the crime for which he was accused occurred, can invalidate eyewitness testimonies.
- Suggestibility and Misinformation: The phenomenon of suggestibility—where eyewitnesses develop false memories based on misleading information—is a critical aspect highlighted by researchers like Loftus. Misleading questions or suggestive police identification procedures can lead to the creation of inaccurate memories and convictions.
- Blind Photo Lineups: To reduce the influence of suggestive identification, blind photo lineups are suggested, where the administrator does not know the suspect, thereby avoiding unintentional cues to the witness.
- Informing Jurors: Some jurisdictions inform jurors of the potential unreliability of eyewitness testimony, and judges may suppress such testimonies if deemed unreliable.
These evidences are critical for ensuring justice and preventing wrongful convictions that can result from relying solely on eyewitness testimony, which research has shown to be fallible and subject to external influences.