According to the National Institute for Justice, “Many attorneys, judges, and journalists have claimed that watching television programs like CSI has caused jurors to wrongfully acquit guilty defendants when no scientific evidence has been presented. The mass media quickly picked up on these complaints. This so-called effect was promptly dubbed the ‘CSI effect,’ laying much of the blame on the popular television series and its progeny.
How have crime related shows affected your understanding of forensic science and what investigators can and cannot determine using the various scientific techniques available? Are you a victim of the CSI effect? Why or why not?
