When lining up potential suspects, what is a key criterion?

• A. Similar appearance
• B. Height
• C. Eye color
• D. Shoe size

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that lineup members should resemble the suspect in overall appearance. In eyewitness identification, you want fillers who look similar to the suspect so that no one stands out for being taller, shorter, or having notably different eye color or shoes. When the group looks alike, the witness’s choice rests on the suspect’s genuine, distinctive features rather than obvious differences among the lineup members. If lineup members varied in obvious ways, bias or guessing could drive a selection, leading to false identifications. So the emphasis is on matching the general appearance of the suspect, not on any single attribute like height, eye color, or shoe size.