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

Human memory may not, as many think, resemble a nonerasable tape of our lives' events, replayable at a whim. That, at any rate, is the view of University of Washington psychologist Loftus ( Eyewitness Testimony ), writing here with Ketcham ( Under the Influence ). Her theory is that three major stages exist in the memory--acquisiton, retention and retrieval--and that problems can develop at any stage, rendering memory highly fallible. Loftus has testified as an expert witness in more than 150 court cases, several of which she details here. She urges juries to remain skeptical of eyewitness's identifications of defendants, and she demonstrates how mistakes have been made. This is a book of surpassing interest and potential influence for psychology students, prosecutors and the general public. (Apr.)