An Eye for the Science: Evolving Judicial Treatment of Eyewitness Identification Evidence

A substantial corpus of social science research has revealed that the Manson v. Brathwaite, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision controlling the admission of eyewitness identification evidence, is seriously flawed. Yet courts have historically ignored this research. In recent years several courts' consideration of the research has led to a rejection of Manson. These decisions offer hope for scientifically-informed judicial decision making in the area of eyewitness identification.