Ronald Cotton Eyewitness Testimony

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Eyewitness testimonies are often unreliable and yet they are usually the most incriminating "evidence" provided in court.

In 1985, Ronald Cotton was convicted of the rape of two college students, one of which was Jennifer Thompson-Cannino. Thompson was determined to not only survive the horrifying experience, but to memorize every feature of her assailant so that she could ensure his imprisonment. At the time of the trial, DNA testing did not exist; most of the evidence presented against Cotton was completely circumstantial and didn’t prove his guilt. However, this evidence is not what sent Cotton to prison. His conviction came from the powerful eyewitness testimony of Thompson. She chose Cotton out of a photo line up and later identified
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