Eyewitness Identification Reform in Massachusetts (2015)

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court also issued a set of jury instructions to be given immediately before or after the testimony of an identifying witness, at the request of either party. Some of these jury instructions speak to the effect of police practice on the reliability of eyewitness evidence. In combination with the MCOPA policy, these instructions have resulted in the use of evidence-based practices at the local law enforcement agency level. Jury instruction adopted: 2015.

Read the SJC jury instructions.