Eyewitness misidentification is a leading cause of wrongful convictions, often resulting from the fallibility of human memory and suggestive identification procedures. Factors such as stress, poor lighting, and racial bias can significantly impair the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, making it unreliable in criminal justice proceedings.
Ineffective Assistance of Counsel refers to a violation of a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial, where the legal representation provided falls below an objective standard of reasonableness and prejudices the outcome of the case. To prove this claim, a defendant must satisfy the two-pronged test established in Strickland v. Washington, demonstrating both deficient performance by the attorney and a reasonable probability that the deficient performance affected the trial's outcome.