This program briefly covers scientific perspectives on how memory works, and more importantly, how it doesn’t. Following this introduction, the presenter will provide detailed explanations of the factors most commonly known to impact eyewitnesses, including discussion of several real-world cases that demonstrate the importance and application of these factors.
The course will review and analyze several photospreads, use of police procedures, and other case issues outside the area of controlled research, including the prevalence of social media and its impact on witness reliability.
Attendees will:
• Develop an understanding of the basic limitations of human memory
• Recognize the most common factors impacting eyewitness identifications
• Develop an understanding of proper police procedures and best practices for photospread administration
• Learn how to best apply these factors to their criminal cases
I. Introduction of Presenter and Overview of Topic (3 minutes)
II. Introduction of Murder Case featuring Eyewitness Identifications (3 minutes)
III. Overview of Human Memory—What It Is and What It Isn’t (15 minutes)
IV. Factors That Impact Witness Reliability—Estimator Variables (20 minutes)
V. Factors That Impact Witness Reliability—System Variables (20 minutes)
VI. Application of Factors to Introduced Murder Case (5 minutes)
VII. Review of Several Photospreads—What’s a Good or Bad photospread? (10 minutes)
VIII. Introduction of Murder Case featuring Field Identification (3 minutes)
IX. Application of Reliability Factors to Field ID case (10 minutes)
X. Introduction of Case featuring Social Media Identification (3 minutes)
XI. Application of Reliability Factors to Social Media ID case (5 minutes)
XII. Introduction to Memory Issues in Delayed Outcry cases (15 minutes)
XIII. Brief Discussion of Two Delayed Outcry cases (10 minutes)
XIV. Summary Overview and Closing (3 minutes)
Trent Terrell has been a professor of psychology at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, TX since 2008. He has published numerous papers on eyewitness memory and eyewitness identification. Trent has testified as a memory expert in nearly 50 criminal cases, and consulted on nearly 200. He has given CLEs on eyewitness memory to the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the National District Attorneys Association in Houston, the Center for American and International Law in Plano, TX, and to numerous online CLE companies.
Trent has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Neuroscience, and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, all from Baylor University. He lives in Temple, TX with his wife Rosemary and their three children.
If you intend to take a course for CLE credit, please make sure your state is listed in the "Accreditation" section to the upper right of the program description. Accreditation displayed is unique to the purchased program format (live conference, live webcast, on demand, podcast). Credit totals listed for live conferences are the maximum credits available. Credits issued will be based upon actual time in attendance. Credit totals for other formats are for complete programs. Partial credit is not available for any online or downloadable format.
West LegalEdcenter will not provide accreditation for states not listed.
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