In Watkins v. Sowders, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a case involving the right to cross-examine witnesses in criminal trials. The petitioner, Watkins, was convicted of armed robbery in Kentucky and claimed that his Sixth Amendment rights were violated because he wasn't allowed to question one of the victims about their ability to identify him as the perpetrator during a lineup conducted shortly after the crime occurred. However, this claim was rejected by both state courts and federal district court due to lack of evidence showing any substantial impairment on victim's ability for identification at trial or during pretrial procedures. The Supreme Court upheld these rulings with a 5-4 decision stating that while defendants have broad rights under cross-examination per Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause, it does not require an inquiry into potential witness identification issues unless there is some indication that such problems exist beyond mere speculation or conjecture from defense counsel. Therefore, without concrete proof suggesting significant flaws in eyewitness testimony or identification process itself (e.g., suggestive lineups), judges are not obligated to allow such questioning.

In the Watkins v. Sowders case, Justice Brennan, joined by Justices Marshall and Stevens in dissenting opinion, argued that due process requires a hearing on the reliability of an eyewitness identification before it can be admitted as evidence. They contended that mistaken identifications are notoriously unreliable and have been responsible for numerous wrongful convictions. The majority's decision to not require such hearings was seen as a departure from previous rulings which emphasized the importance of ensuring reliable evidence in criminal trials. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority’s view that cross-examination is sufficient to expose any issues with eyewitness testimony; instead asserting that pretrial hearings were necessary because juries often overestimate the accuracy of such testimonies even after effective cross-examinations.