The Csi Effect

He also testified that the tests done on the glove and Bronco were untrustworthy due to sloppy evidence handling. Henry Lee testified that blood swatches collected near the crime scene were left to dry overnight but the evidence showed a damp swatch ended up in Simpson's packaging.

I feel that this case was somewhat representative of what was discussed in the textbook. The forensics aspects of this case were generally different from the impression of forensics I received from reading the textbook. Despite this fact, I feel that the investigative techniques of this case were similar to what was discussed in the textbook, as well as what has been discussed during lecture.

Unfortunately, these shows also create a false expectation that clear and definite evidence can be shown for any case, which is not true. Jurors expect every case to have thorough scientific evidence from the best and most modern technology and to look exactly as it does on a television show (Shelton). Radford said, “Science does not operate on certainties.” During an investigation, scientists don’t ever say that the DNA being tested is a “match” to the suspect because nothing can ever be a definite match. Instead, their vocabulary consists of phrases such as

The popular television show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigations has been on the air for 12 years, and it has brought forth the behind-the-scenes actions of criminal investigations, even if its portrayals are not always scientifically accurate. This has caused an interest in the forensic sciences that has led most people to a skewed view of how a criminal investigation actually works. The reality of a criminal investigation is that it is generally more tedious and difficult than the theory of criminal investigation would have you believe. By examining the forensic and investigative procedures of the case of Pamela Foddrill, it is apparent that the theory of criminal investigation was not representative of the procedures concerning examination

One major difference I noticed about CSI on T.V. compared to real life is the way that things always seem to be fast and easy when in reality it takes a long time and can be complicated. For instance in many shows such CSI Miami, Bones, etc. when they test blood samples, DNA, fingerprints or other things it seems to only take minutes, when in reality it can take weeks or months to get the actual results. Another thing would be the amount of education and training needed. You must be able to perform many things such as drug analysis, trace evidence and much more. Forensics isn't as easy as just taking pictures and bagging evidence. It requires years of education and months of training which is rarely mentioned in the shows. Some T.V. shows rarely

While investigations were going on to determine how victims died, there was a discovery of fibers on the victims’ bodies. The goal of the investigator was to determine if any fibers in Wayne Williams home or person matched those fibers found on the victims. Williams denied killing

There were many different issues that were present during the investigation to the Tim Bosma murder. For one the length of the investigation, and the amount of forensic evidence that was collected, and analyzed. The HPS explained to the court the evidence collected from Bosma truck. They took sixty-four blood swabs in and around the truck; furthermore, they also took 23 fingerprints from the truck on 20 different items with two of them matching to Millard (Clairmont, 2016). A cut was made in a green tarp to remove the section with blood stains on it, as well soil and vegetation samples were taken from the tires (Clairmont, 2016). They also collected shards of glass from a broken passenger window. This is just an example of the amount of evidence that was collected from just the truck in the Bosma murder investigation. Another

The expert testimony in the Wayne Williams case was vital in explaining the evidence to the jury (Imwinkelried, 1983). It is reasonable to concede that jurors have no prior knowledge of forensic science. Additionally, jurors will most likely have no prior knowledge of the different variations, color spectrums, moreover the uniqueness of various items presented as evidence in this case. As a prosecutor, it would important to include the testimony of fiber experts with extensive knowledge of the article presented. This expert would be able to articulate to the jury the unique qualities as well as characteristics of the fibers.

The CSI Effect is becoming to take it’s place in courtrooms and the prosecutors aren 't liking it. Prosecutors are feeling there is no hope for getting a conviction when it’s come to the CSI Effect because they believe that it has control over the juror’s applying justice to criminal. The CSI Effect is being criticized for not allowing prosecutors a fair chance at a conviction in a jury trial for the belief that Jurors are influenced by what they see on T.V shows and how they believe that the use of forensic science should be used more to prove a person guilty of a crime. The CSI Effect is to be determined if whether or not it can affect the way a case is determined in the eyes of the jury.

With producing reality shows comes producing inaccuracies in portrayals in order to reach as many viewers and gain as high ratings as possible every week with each new episode. Every day life is boring, yet people tend to be attracted to the relatable shows that portray real life in eccentric ways – ways that they believe could be imitated by the average person. In many cases, these shows could remain harmless, as it is entertainment. No matter how crude or erroneous, it is just television. However, what happens when these sources of amusement actually start being damaging? Research has shown that crime shows like the ever popular CSI: Crime Scene Investigation have started becoming significantly detrimental to criminal

People who watch these shows are used to seeing scientists emerging from their lab with concise who, how’s and whys from their collection of evidence. In reality it isn’t this simple. Prosecutors in this case could only make an educated guess or surmise from

There has been a lot of research intending to fully discover the extent of the CSI effect television that has found its impact to be negative. Of the multitudes of negative impacts of the CSI effects, among the most prevalent are the unrealistic expectations that viewers have of DNA and other types of forensic evidence in the courtroom. In Ley, Jankowski, and Brewer’s study, they analyzed a large sample of CSI episodes for their content relating to forensic science. The study found that that in 94% of all episodes in the sample the detectives used DNA evidence to solve cases. Also, in 88% of all cases shown, the

    A review of false convictions that involved forensic science and can help identify critical lessons for forensic scientists as they perform testing, interpret results, render conclusions, and testify in court from the national institute of justice.

Television crime dramas have been able to influence the American public by showing the importance and dedication of hard work in law, order, and justice. The significance of television crime dramas is that people can learn

However, when comparing his DNA with the DNA found at the crime scene’s it concluded that he was innocent as they didn’t match (10); meaning that DNA testing had already exonerated an innocent individual before the perpetrator was found. Proving that forensic evidence had already provided a positive impact on the