If the police accuse you of committing a crime, they may appear rather pleased with themselves if they find an eyewitness. Having someone willing to make a statement or take the stand and testify that they saw you commit a crime makes their job and the prosecutor’s job much easier.
It won’t, however, guarantee a conviction – not that the police are likely to tell you that. What they would like to have happen is that you feel so beaten by the fact that they have an eyewitness, that you make a confession or plead guilty to the charges, even if you did not actually do it.
Several ways to challenge an eyewitness
Eyewitnesses are not always correct about what they say they saw, and even when they are, there are often ways to show that they are not as reliable as the police would have you believe.
Some eyewitnesses are saying what the police want them to say to try and gain favor to lessen their own charges or sentence. Others are lying to cover up for themselves or a friend who committed the crime you are charged with.
Other eyewitnesses are convinced that what they are saying is true, but they may have been unsure until the police or another party intentionally or unintentionally gave them information that pushed them in that direction.
Still other eyewitnesses think they are telling the truth, but did not have a great view or or jumped to a conclusion, were drunk or drugged or half asleep when they saw the thing or are just misremembering what they saw. After all, if you think about what you saw on any given day, you would likely get many details wrong.
Anyone facing charges should remember that, however hopeless things may initially seem, there may be defense options available.