Accuracy and Credibility of the Elderly Witness

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Abstract
Competency of witnesses depends upon the accuracy of their memory and their credibility. This paper addresses both of these factors with respect to the elderly. First, a review of the accuracy of the elderly eyewitness in recall and identification of a criminal suspect relative to that of young adults is presented. Secondly, the results of a study testing the perceptions of the legal community and the general public toward the elderly witness are given. And thirdly, the attitudes of the elderly toward police officers, trial judges, crown attorneys, and defense lawyers are discussed. Young adults were found to be seven to 20 per cent more accurate on the average than elderly subjects in recall for crime-related events and in the identification of a suspect. However, results also showed that some elderly subjects are equally as accurate as young adults in the visual identification of a suspect. Police officers, lawyers, probation officers, the general public, and elderly subjects rated the elderly witness relatively high in understandability, activity, potency, and evaluation. These judgements suggest that the credibility of the elderly witness is favorable. Finally, the study showed that elderly subjects perceive trial judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers positively, and they are particularly supportive of the police.

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