What is a lineup?

• A. Lineup
• B. Live presentation of several different people by police to a witness of a crime so as to identify possible suspects. (An attorney may be present if wanted)
• C. A single person shown to a witness at the scene
• D. A photograph array shown to a witness

Answer: (B)

Lineup is a live identification procedure where police present a group of individuals to a witness to identify a suspect. The key elements are that it’s a real, face-to-face presentation with several people, not just one, and the witness’s identification is based on seeing the actual people rather than photographs. The lineup typically includes the actual suspect plus fillers who resemble the suspect to reduce bias, and, if desired, an attorney may be present to protect the suspect’s rights. This method is intended to produce a reliable identification while limiting suggestive influence. It differs from a show-up, which shows a single person to a witness, and from a photo lineup, which uses photographs instead of live people.