---
title: "Can a robbery identification be thrown out?"
description: "Yes, and suppressing an identification is often the most important motion in a robbery case. Rhode Island courts will exclude eyewitness IDs obtained through unnecessarily suggestive procedures when..."
url: https://bankandmunns.com/faq-items/can-a-robbery-identification-be-thrown-out/
date: 2026-04-22
modified: 2026-04-29
author: "Bank and Munns"
type: avada_faq
lang: en
---

# Can a robbery identification be thrown out?

Yes, and suppressing an identification is often the most important motion in a robbery case. Rhode Island courts will exclude eyewitness IDs obtained through unnecessarily suggestive procedures when those procedures create a substantial likelihood of misidentification. Common grounds for suppression include show-ups with the suspect in handcuffs, photo arrays where the suspect stands out from the fillers, arrays administered by an officer who knew which photo was the suspect, and IDs tainted by suggestive comments before or during the procedure. If the court suppresses the identification, the state often has no viable case left. That is why a Rhode Island robbery lawyer's first job is frequently to litigate the lineup, not the facts of the robbery itself.