North Carolina lawmakers approve sweeping reforms
07.24.07
The North Carolina House and Senate gave unanimous approval yesterday to bills that will reform the state’s criminal justice system based on the lessons learned from wrongful convictions.
Under the new rules, many of which some local police departments already follow voluntarily, a lineup would be administered by someone not in the investigation and has no information about the potential suspect, with some exceptions.
The lineup would be administered by presenting photos or individuals to the eyewitness one at a time, rather than all at once, as a way to lead to an accurate outcome. Investigators also must document the witness' confidence level of an identification.
Another change would require all interrogations in a homicide investigation to be recorded by video or audio as a way to ensure that officers perform them properly.
Read the full story here
. (The Charlotte Observer, 07/23/07)
North Carolina is among several states to take major steps in 2007 toward a fairer criminal justice system.
Learn more about reforms enacted nationwide this year
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