Witness for the Defense: The Accused, the Eyewitness and the Expert Who Puts Memory on Trial (Paperback)

~ Dr. Elizabeth Loftus (Author), (Author) "I walk up the narrow wooden aisle, the silence amplified by the clicking of my heels on the slick polished floor..." (more)
Key Phrases: photographic lineup, five eyewitnesses, postevent information, Tyrone Briggs, Steve Titus, Howard Haupt (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Witness for the Defense is an important book." —The New York Times

"An intriguing and disturbing work in which forensic psychologist Loftus, a specialist on memory, examines the fallibility of eyewitness testimony in criminal cases . . . A fascinating examination of human memory, with troubling implications for the American criminal-justice system." —Kirkus Reviews

"Highly recommended for the general public and scholars interested in whether justice is served in the criminal justice system." —Library Journal

Product Description

"The study of memory had become my specialty, my passion. In the next few years I wrote dozens of papers about how memory works and how it fails, but unlike most researchers studying memory, my work kept reaching out into the real world. To what extent, I wondered, could a person's memory be shaped by suggestion? When people witness a serious automobile accident, how accurate is their recollection of the facts? If a witness is questioned by a police officer, will the manner of questioning alter the representation of the memory? Can memories be supplemented with additional, false information?"

The "passion" Loftus describes in the lines above led her to a teaching career at the University of Washington and, perhaps more importantly, into hundreds of courtrooms as an expert witness on the fallibility of eyewitness accounts. As she has explained in numerous trials, and as she convincingly argues in this absorbing book, eyewitness accounts can be and often are so distorted that they no longer resemble the truth.

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Product Details Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 15, 1992) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312084552 ISBN-13: 978-0312084554 Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #360,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #15 in  Books > Professional & Technical > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Witnesses #15 in  Books > Nonfiction > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Witnesses #38 in  Books > Nonfiction > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Trial Practice

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More About the Authors

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Katherine Ketcham

Elizabeth Loftus

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
I walk up the narrow wooden aisle, the silence amplified by the clicking of my heels on the slick polished floor. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
photographic lineup, five eyewitnesses, postevent information, photo lineup, eyewitness identification, unconscious transference, suggestive questioning, original memory, appeal brief, weapon focus, mistaken identification

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Tyrone Briggs, Steve Titus, Howard Haupt, John Demjanjuk, Von Williams, Timothy Hennis, Ted Bundy, Sally Blackwell, Ivan the Terrible, Sandra Barnes, Las Vegas, Chuck Barrett, Detective Clark, Tony Herrerez, Billy Chambers, Schlomo Helman, Billy Richardson, Port of Seattle, Charles Crouter, Joanne Spencer, Karl Vance, Nancy Van Roper, North Carolina, Tim Hennis, Katie Davenport

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 15 books:

• Eyewitness Testimony: With a new preface by the author by Elizabeth F. Loftus on 4 pages
• On the Witness Stand: Essays on Psychology and Crime by Hugo Munsterberg on page 156, and Back Matter
• Eyewitness Testimony: Civil and Criminal by Elizabeth F. Loftus in Front Matter, and Back Matter
• As If (National Poetry Series) by James Richardson on page 107
• Human Memory: The Processing of Information by G. R. Loftus in Front Matter

See all 15 books this book cites

 

3 books cite this book:

• Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism by James Robert Milam in Back Matter
• Tainted Truth: The Manipulation of Fact In America by Cynthia Crossen in Back Matter
• The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning by Ernest Kurtz on page 234

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Criminal Procedure by Ronald Jay Allen

Discusses:

• eyewitness identification
• unconscious transference
• suggestive questioning

True Witness by James M. Doyle

Discusses:

• five eyewitnesses
• eyewitness identification
• eyewitness reliability

Eyewitness Testimony by Elizabeth F. Loftus

Discusses:

• postevent information
• eyewitness identification
• unconscious transference

Convicted but Innocent by Ronald Huff

Discusses:

• postevent information
• eyewitness identification
• eyewitness misidentification

Psychology And Social Policy by Peter Suedfeld

Discusses:

• postevent information
• eyewitness identification
• eyewitness reliability

Presumed Guilty by Martin Yant

Discusses:

• photo lineup
• eyewitness identification
• unconscious transference

Criminal Procedure by Ronald Jay Allen Discusses: eyewitness identification unconscious transference suggestive questioning True Witness by James M. Doyle Discusses: five eyewitnesses eyewitness identification eyewitness reliability Eyewitness Testimony by Elizabeth F. Loftus Discusses: postevent information eyewitness identification unconscious transference Convicted but Innocent by Ronald Huff Discusses: postevent information eyewitness identification eyewitness misidentification Loading...

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	74% buy the item featured on this page: Witness for the Defense: The Accused, the Eyewitness and the Expert Who Puts Memory on Trial 3.5 out of 5 stars (6) $16.19
	9% buy The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories and Allegations of Sexual Abuse 3.6 out of 5 stars (18) $10.85
	7% buy The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers 4.3 out of 5 stars (40) $10.17
	6% buy Jeopardy in the Courtroom: A Scientific Analysis of Children's Testimony 4.5 out of 5 stars (6) $13.60

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews 5 star:    (0) 4 star:  (5) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 10 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars There Is No Photo Album In The Brain, May 3, 2002 By  Robert Derenthal "bucherwurm" (California United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       Many people think that we store our past visual experiences as intact images in the brain. Research, however, shows that this concept is not accurate. The visual recollection of an event has to be recreated by assembling bits and pieces of memory into a whole picture. Our recollection of events is thus often distorted. A variety of psychological experiments have been conducted that demonstrate this phenomenon. Subjects shown a picture of an office later, when asked to recall the photograph, put items such as bookcases or a calendar in the scene that were not actually there. Other aspects of the office are forgotten. Elizabeth Loftus, an internationally known expert on memory, applies research and her experience to the topic of eye witness testimony in the legal setting. The book attempts to be both entertaining in its often informal presentation of case histories, and modestly academic in presenting psychological theory and research. The case histories for the most part describe trials in which eyewitness testimony resulted in the conviction of an innocent person. Loftus shows how inaccurate recollections combined with inappropriate police photo and lineup presentations can cause a witness to create false recollections. As a side note the book also shows how fallible juries can be. All in all this book provides further proof that eyewitness testimony is not superior to circumstantial evidence. My only criticism of this book should probably be directed toward the co-author. This book is oriented toward the general public, and the case descriptions are often fluffed to create the "true crime" approach used by writers in that genre. What I found particularly amusing was that, in a book devoted to the topic of fallible memory, Ms Loftus recalls minute trivia that most of us would normally forget within a day. She relates, for example, that in one case she had just finished eating a breakfast of coffee and wheat toast. The coffee had just been put in front of her when the lawyer for the defendant walked into the restaurant. Beyond this attempt at verisimilitude we are presented with a memory of an extremely inconsequential event -the breakfast, and its delivery timing- ten years after the event. This book is an important read. It demonstrates vividly the inaccuracies of memory, and it presents the subject in a format that would entertain most courtroom novel fans. Author Loftus has written a variety of books including a recent one -The Myth of Repressed Memory"- that debunks repressed memory. A classic of hers is "Eyewitness Testimony" that is oriented more toward psychological theory and research. 12 of 16 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Stories--But Method is Flawed, June 19, 2000 By A Customer Loftus is an expert on memory, and here turns her attention to memory in criminal cases. Each chapter is a different example of memory and eyewitness testimony gone wrong in US legal cases where she served as an expert witness. Usually she focuses on the misidentification of innocent people as the perpetrators of crimes-including the controversial John Demjanjuk case. She makes good points about the unreliability of memory under conditions of stress--like witnessing crimes. However, I have to disagree with her when she claims that there are objective ways of perceiving and remembering events untainted by emotion, etc. All perception and memory is tainted. We will just have to learn to deal with that in the court system. Loftus does offer some good ways to avoid problems these problems--for instance procedures for line-ups and identification of perpetrators using pictures. 9 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Reveals how tricks the mind plays can lead to injustice, August 20, 2000 By A Customer Long before DNA testing began to demonstrate that an alarming number of people had been convicted of crimes they did not commit, Elizabeth Loftus was using her scientific studies of memory and memory distortion to alert the legal system and the public in general of such injustices. This book describes a series of cases that are classic examples of just how faulty eyewitness memory can be. The book does a great job of mixing documentary story-telling and personal reflection with genuine education regarding what cognitive scientists know about how memory works and doesn't work. This book is engaging and recommended reading for anyone, whether they are an educator, a lawyer, or simply an average citizen who someday may find themselves witnessing a crime or sitting in the jury box deciding someone else's fate.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 1.0 out of 5 stars Immaterial, irrelevant, and misleading (...) leave book buyers with the false impression that Loftus's book is a universally acknowledged authority. It is not. Read more Published on June 18, 2004 4.0 out of 5 stars For the lay reader This book is easy to read and gives the lay reader many illuminating insights into the work of this well known and respected forensic psychologist. Read more Published on June 26, 2001 by B. Rossen 4.0 out of 5 stars An expert's thoughts on Ted Bundy This book is worth reading, if only to study the author's thoughts on Ted Bundy for whom the author testified as an expert witness. On p. Read more Published on April 4, 2001 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312084552
• ISBN-13: 978-0312084554
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #360,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Witnesses
  #15 in	Books > Nonfiction > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Witnesses
  #38 in	Books > Nonfiction > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Trial Practice

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There Is No Photo Album In The Brain, May 3, 2002

By	Robert Derenthal "bucherwurm" (California United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Many people think that we store our past visual experiences as intact images in the brain. Research, however, shows that this concept is not accurate. The visual recollection of an event has to be recreated by assembling bits and pieces of memory into a whole picture. Our recollection of events is thus often distorted. A variety of psychological experiments have been conducted that demonstrate this phenomenon. Subjects shown a picture of an office later, when asked to recall the photograph, put items such as bookcases or a calendar in the scene that were not actually there. Other aspects of the office are forgotten.

Elizabeth Loftus, an internationally known expert on memory, applies research and her experience to the topic of eye witness testimony in the legal setting. The book attempts to be both entertaining in its often informal presentation of case histories, and modestly academic in presenting psychological theory and research. The case histories for the most part describe trials in which eyewitness testimony resulted in the conviction of an innocent person. Loftus shows how inaccurate recollections combined with inappropriate police photo and lineup presentations can cause a witness to create false recollections. As a side note the book also shows how fallible juries can be. All in all this book provides further proof that eyewitness testimony is not superior to circumstantial evidence.

My only criticism of this book should probably be directed toward the co-author. This book is oriented toward the general public, and the case descriptions are often fluffed to create the "true crime" approach used by writers in that genre. What I found particularly amusing was that, in a book devoted to the topic of fallible memory, Ms Loftus recalls minute trivia that most of us would normally forget within a day. She relates, for example, that in one case she had just finished eating a breakfast of coffee and wheat toast. The coffee had just been put in front of her when the lawyer for the defendant walked into the restaurant. Beyond this attempt at verisimilitude we are presented with a memory of an extremely inconsequential event -the breakfast, and its delivery timing- ten years after the event.

This book is an important read. It demonstrates vividly the inaccuracies of memory, and it presents the subject in a format that would entertain most courtroom novel fans. Author Loftus has written a variety of books including a recent one -The Myth of Repressed Memory"- that debunks repressed memory. A classic of hers is "Eyewitness Testimony" that is oriented more toward psychological theory and research.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Stories--But Method is Flawed, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

Loftus is an expert on memory, and here turns her attention to memory in criminal cases. Each chapter is a different example of memory and eyewitness testimony gone wrong in US legal cases where she served as an expert witness. Usually she focuses on the misidentification of innocent people as the perpetrators of crimes-including the controversial John Demjanjuk case.

She makes good points about the unreliability of memory under conditions of stress--like witnessing crimes. However, I have to disagree with her when she claims that there are objective ways of perceiving and remembering events untainted by emotion, etc. All perception and memory is tainted. We will just have to learn to deal with that in the court system.

Loftus does offer some good ways to avoid problems these problems--for instance procedures for line-ups and identification of perpetrators using pictures.

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reveals how tricks the mind plays can lead to injustice, August 20, 2000

By A Customer

Long before DNA testing began to demonstrate that an alarming number of people had been convicted of crimes they did not commit, Elizabeth Loftus was using her scientific studies of memory and memory distortion to alert the legal system and the public in general of such injustices. This book describes a series of cases that are classic examples of just how faulty eyewitness memory can be. The book does a great job of mixing documentary story-telling and personal reflection with genuine education regarding what cognitive scientists know about how memory works and doesn't work. This book is engaging and recommended reading for anyone, whether they are an educator, a lawyer, or simply an average citizen who someday may find themselves witnessing a crime or sitting in the jury box deciding someone else's fate.