Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction to eyewitness testimony -- Overview of relevant scientific research -- The law governing eyewitness identification evidence in criminal trials -- How memory works and affects witness accuracy -- Estimator variables -- System variables-- Special issues in identification -- Jurors' and others' beliefs about eyewitness testimony -- Evaluating the eyewitness case -- Pretrial proceedings in criminal cases - Pretrial proceedings in civil cases -- Jury education and selection -- Opening statement -- Direct and redirect examinations -- Cross-examination : strategies and tactics -- Presenting expert testimony -- Instructions for the jury -- Summation.

"As pertinent today as when it was first published more than a decade ago, this engaging and highly praised study makes the psychological case against the reliability of the eyewitness. By shedding light on the many factors that can intervene and create inaccurate testimony, [the author] illustrates how memory can be radically altered by the way an eyewitness is questioned, and how new memories can be implanted and old ones altered in subtle ways. [The author] thus calls into question today's widely held assumption of eyewitness authority over the details of a crime or other events. [This book] provides a sobering counterpoint to today's theatrical reliance on eyewitness accounts in the media, and should be required reading for trial lawyers, psychologists, jurors, and anyone who considers the chilling prospect of confronting an eyewitness accusation in a court of law."--