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The Fails of Eyewitness Testimony

“So you think that copu2019s gonna get off in the Ferguson shooting?”

“So eyewitness testimony is not so important anymore?”

“Ferguson?”

“At least three folks have come forth to say they saw Big Mike with his hands up, surrendering, before the officer resumed shooting—multiple times.”

“There have been studies to show eyewitness testimonies are often unreliable. Dr. Drew was harping on that on CNN the other night.”

“Hey, I believe it can be. I was a victim once of false identification.”

“Damn. You never told me-“

“Long story, long time ago. But I don’t recall the doctor emphasizing that little detail during the Zimmerman trial. And I saw his phony-ass a lot on the tube then too.”

“You wrong, man. Dr. Drew my boy. But I know where you’re headed. There was this guy at the Zimmerman trial whose testimony they seemed to depend on a lot.”

“John Goode. That’s his name. Said he saw it from his porch, or something.”

“It was established he was closest to the scuffle—although he did mention he was also kinda blinded by the night and rain too.”

“A lot of what he said real prosecutors could have jammed him on. ‘What do you mean you’re sure Trayvon was on the top since you’re not sure what color jacket Zimmerman wore?’”

“And didn’t he go inside to call the police when the shooting started?”

“And said he used ‘common sense’ to determine who was calling for help: the man—Zimmerman—he sort of concluded was on the bottom.”

“They didn’t press him on that?”

“He was the prosecution’s witness.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I know. The prosecution thought he’d be damning to their case as a witness for the defense, he being this upstanding citizen and all.”

“You mean because he’s white.”

“Being a guy didn’t hurt either. Two women—one Latino— had testified they believed they saw Zimmerman on top of Trayvon.”

“They went all Dr. Drew on them, huh?”

“And to the young lady who gave a blow-by-blow account about what Trayvon was telling her on the phone that night. They in effect, with the decision, were saying she was lying.”

“I was sort of pissed how they treated her. She was just telling what she knew.”

“The prosecutors knew their audience—a hell of an admission which by itself should have helped Trayvon’s case, don’t you think?”

“So you think that cop’s gonna get off in the Ferguson shooting? Wilson? Maybe one witness you can have questions about—but three? Sayin’ the same thing? You know, they’re also saying they have witnesses too who say Wilson was justified in shooting Big Mike.”

“Although no one has seen them yet.”

“And that the officer’s eye-socket was broken.”

“Although we haven’t seen a photo of that yet either.”

“I saw the funeral. I felt so bad for that family. Know what I think? A scuffle could have broken out. But to shoot him six times. After he gave up… Couldn’t use a stun gun? Seems like overkill. I don’t know. I wasn’t there. Wish I was though.”

“So there could be at least four of you they don’t believe?”

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