One of the most corrupted legal systems that ever existed was in the mid 1850's London courts. It was there where some of the most absurd eyewitness accounts occurred and where most innocent people went to jail for crimes against morality, because someone "had seen them", even in an era where modern optometry was not available, half the town was possibly near or far sighted, and the effects of syphillis on the eyesight of many were rife.
The problem I have with eyewitness accounts is that our brains have become less able to focus on detail and, being that our society has granted us so many instances of instant gratification and quicker, faster, and more available information, I fear that we do not take the time anymore to really look at individual characteristics of people. Also, we live in a very hyped society where everyone has to be extra sensitive to not be a victim of crime. Could that hypersensitivity, that lack of focus, and the overload of TV episodes that deal with crime be affecting our natural ability to discern what we see from what we think we see?
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