Garner v. People

JUSTICE MÁRQUEZ delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶1 Eyewitness identifications are extremely powerful evidence. "[T]here is almost nothing more convincing than a live human being who takes the stand, points a finger at the defendant, and says 'That's the one!' " Watkins v. Sowders , 449 U.S. 341, 352, 101 S.Ct. 654, 66 L.Ed.2d 549 (1981) (Brennan, J., dissenting) (quoting Elizabeth F. Loftus, Eyewitness Testimony 19 (1979)). But such evidence is also fallible. Indeed, "the annals of criminal law are rife with instances of mistaken identification." United States v. Wade , 388 U.S. 218, 228,…