Ronald Cotton

Ronald Cotton went to prison for rape. The victim picked him from a lineup convinced she was accurate. She picked him again years later when his case was reopened. This second lineup included the actual rapist. After 11 years behind bars, Cotton was later exonerated by DNA evidence . Experts say that the current lineup format pressures witnesses to identify a suspect, even when they lack confidence. So researchers are trying to improve the accuracy of such identifications. One recent study had more than 900 participants watch a short film of a staged crime. Up to a week after watching the film, the viewers looked at photos of suspects one at a time and rated how confident they were about each one's guilt.