What is a show-up, what is a lineup, and which is more likely to be suggestive?

• A. A show-up is a one-person identification; a lineup presents multiple individuals for identification; show-ups are more likely to be suggestive.
• B. A lineup is a single person identification; a show-up presents multiple individuals.
• C. Show-ups are never suggestive; lineups are always.
• D. A show-up is used only at trial.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how the identification procedure can steer a witness’s memory. A show-up is when a single person is shown to the witness for identification—often right after the event, and usually at the scene. A lineup is when multiple people are presented together, including the actual suspect plus people who resemble the description, and the witness is asked to identify who did it.

Show-ups tend to be more suggestive because there’s only one face to fix on. With no comparison group, the witness may feel pressured to choose that person, or their memory might be nudged by the context or the way the presenter frames the moment. In contrast, a lineup gives the witness options and a chance to compare, which—when done with proper safeguards like fair fillers, neutral instructions, and sometimes blind administration—helps reduce the influence of the examiner and makes identifications more about memory rather than suggestion.

So, the statement reflects that a show-up identifies a single person, a lineup presents several individuals, and show-ups are more likely to be suggestive.