Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy (NVCJA) Practice Exam

What should be done if there are multiple witnesses to an incident?

1. Interview them together

2. Identify and separate them

3. Wait until they are calm

4. Ask them to write statements

The correct answer is: Identify and separate them

Identifying and separating witnesses is a crucial step in ensuring the integrity of their testimonies. When multiple witnesses are present during an incident, separating them helps prevent the possibility of them influencing one another's recollections of the events. This influence can lead to discrepancies in their statements, as they may inadvertently align their accounts based on what they hear from others, rather than relying solely on their personal observations. By separating the witnesses, investigators can obtain independent statements that are more likely to reflect what each individual actually saw or experienced. This practice supports accurate fact-finding and enhances the credibility of the investigation as it minimizes the risk of collusion or the blending of accounts, allowing for a clearer understanding of the incident from multiple perspectives. In contrast, interviewing witnesses together can lead to groupthink or a shared narrative that could compromise the quality of the information collected. Waiting until witnesses are calm might overlook the immediacy of their accounts, as memories can fade or change over time. Lastly, asking witnesses to write statements may be beneficial in some contexts, but it doesn't replace the necessity of initial personal interviews, where the investigator can clarify and probe for more details in real-time. Thus, the best initial approach is to identify and separate the witnesses.