Legal Definitions - Showup

Showup

A type of pretrial identification procedure where a witness is shown only the suspect and asked if they are the perpetrator. This method has been criticized for being prone to errors.

After a robbery, the police brought in a suspect and showed them to the witness. The witness was asked if the suspect was the person who committed the crime. This is an example of a showup.

Another example could be a victim of a hit-and-run being shown a suspect by the police and asked if they were the driver who hit them.

Showup is a type of identification procedure where a witness is shown only one person, the suspect, and asked if they are the perpetrator. This method is criticized because it can lead to false identifications due to the witness feeling pressured to make a decision or being influenced by the police. The examples illustrate how a showup can be used in real-life situations, such as identifying a suspect in a crime or a hit-and-run accident.