Which of the following describes proper procedures when conducting a live lineup?

• A. Simultaneous display of all six pictures
• B. Random order
• C. All six pictures displayed at once
• D. Sequential display: six pictures with matching sex, race, and characteristics, shown one at a time

Answer: (D)

Lineups are designed to reduce bias in eyewitness identifications. The safest approach is to have six individuals who resemble the suspect in key characteristics (sex, race, approximate age range, height/build, distinguishing features) and to present them one at a time. This sequential, single-stimulus method forces the witness to evaluate each person against their memory independently, rather than comparing everyone side by side. That helps prevent a bias toward the person who most closely resembles the group as a whole and reduces the chance of a misidentification driven by relative judgment.

Showing all six at once invites the witness to compare everyone directly and choose the closest overall match, which can distort memory and lead to biased results. Simply randomizing order doesn’t address the fundamental bias introduced by simultaneous presentation. Therefore, presenting six well-matched fillers one at a time best aligns with proper procedures for a live lineup.