Again from the HC, a story that raises questions about eyewitness procedures in cases that could lead to the death penalty and whether Texas executed the wrong person.
Of four people who saw events connected to the crime, only one, car salesman Kevan Baker, saw Lopez struggle with her assailant, the journal article says. Baker initially described a man who did not resemble DeLuna but changed his story after police brought DeLuna to the store.
Baker later told researchers he was only 70 percent sure of his identification, the journal says. Had police not told him DeLuna had been apprehended nearby, he would have been only 50 percent certain, he said.
The eyewitness process - line ups etc - has been subjected to increased scrutiny over the years. The story outlines one proposal:
Provisions of a suggested reform package prepared by Sam Houston State University criminologists require that the officer conducting a lineup not know who the suspect is. "Show ups," in which police present a suspect to witnesses shortly after arrest, are discouraged, and photo or live lineups must contain innocent people who resemble the suspect.
Law enforcement agencies must implement the model plan or comparable reforms of their own devising by September.
Just out of curiosity, how many of these before public opinion about the death penalty shifts?
