Neil v. Biggers

A rape victim identified Biggers (defendant) as her attacker at a police showup — a one-on-one confrontation, rather than a lineup — after several earlier photo lineups produced no identification. The victim had viewed her attacker in her bedroom light and later moonlight and gave a detailed description of his age, size, skin, and voice before the showup. Biggers was convicted; a federal habeas court and the court of appeals held the suggestive showup procedure violated due process and overturned the conviction, and the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari.