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A police lineup (in American English) or identity parade (in British English) is a process by which a crime victim or witness's putative identification of a suspect is confirmed to a level that can count as evidence at trial.
The suspect, along with several other individuals of similar height, complexion and build (these can be prisoners, actors or just random people off the street) stand both facing and in profile while the person making the identification views from behind a one-way mirror. If the victim or witness successfully identifies the suspect from among similar-appearing individuals, the identification is considered valid.
For evidence from a lineup to be admissible in court, the lineup itself must be conducted fairly. The police may not say or do anything that persuades the witness to identify the suspect that they prefer. This includes loading the lineup with people who look very dissimilar to the suspect.
In popular culture
- Promotional materials for The Usual Suspects show the principal actors in an identity parade, an event that occurred within the movie.
- The Player includes a Police Lineup.
External links
- NY Times "Study Fuels a Growing Debate Over Police Lineups"
- The Straight Dope "Where do police get the people for lineups?"