Help Fix the Eyewitness Identification Law in Florida

In Florida, mistaken eyewitness identity was a contributing factor in 41% of known exonerations.

In March 1974, James Bain, then 19 years old, was wrongfully arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and rape of a nine-year old boy. Although Mr. Bain had an alibi, police included a photo of Mr. Bain in a lineup and the victim selected him.

Mr. Bain sought DNA several times but was denied. Later in 2009, with support from the Innocence Project of Florida, Mr. Bain finally secured DNA testing that excluded him as the culprit. At age 54, Mr. Bain became the 247th person exonerated through DNA evidence in the U.S.  — he was finally free.

Mistaken eyewitness identity is one of the leading causes of wrongful conviction — in Florida, it was a contributing factor in 41% of exonerations, compared to 27% nationally.

Thankfully, there are evidence-based procedures, backed up by 40 years of social science research, that Florida can adopt to better conduct eyewitness lineups and prevent wrongful convictions.

Sign our petition: Tell the Florida legislature to adopt additional protections against wrongful convictions. 

This campaign is in partnership with the Innocence Project of Florida.