Section One
Crime and law enforcement TV shows have been hugely popular, with constantly rising ratings over time. Over a quarter of all primetime programming from the 1960s to 1990s focused on crime or criminal justice, the most significant single topic on TV today, across all genres (Weigel & Jessor, 1999). As Carlson (2001) reviewed, research on these shows has broadly examined five vital interrelated areas: knowledge of and information about the system, compliance, rights, police images, and violence and victimization. Each area can inform a comprehensive research agenda on TV portrayals and public perceptions of criminal justice.
Using the system for entertainment started with "America's Most Wanted," which dramatized crimes alongside facts. It was both educational and thrilling. 1989 "Cops" began following officers on shifts, showing genuine apprehensions. Many factual shows now spotlight different justice aspects.
One example is "American Justice," covering shocking crimes through police work, trials, and perpetrator backgrounds. While dramatized, it accurately depicts progress from an unsolved crime to conviction. In one episode, "Thrill Killers," Joshua Ford and Genie Crutchley vanished from their hotel. Suspects Benjamin and Erica Sifrit, a young married couple, were arrested for burglary in a Hooters store robbery attempt. Their belongings included the victims' wallets and personal items. Before linking the Sifrits to the disappearances, police found they had killed and dismembered the pair, dumping them in the trash with no apparent motive beyond thrill-seeking amid increasingly wild behavior. Benjamin Sifrit got second-degree murder for Crutchley but not Ford. Erica Sifrit received second-degree for Crutchley and first for Ford. Both are appealing.
Section Two
The "Thrill Killers" episode shows police investigations and trials. It opened with the hotel vanishing. After introducing the vacationing victims, it connected the Sifrits through their random burglary arrest and possession of victims' belongings. With the offenders tied to the effects, police further linked the victims. Next, offering Erica a deal elicited information locating body parts. A bullet wound tied Erica to the murders without more confession (Mann & Williamson, 2006). The court process began with the arraignments and bail denial based on the disappearances. With overwhelming evidence, both were convicted.
The country is undergoing relatively fast social change around criminal justice knowledge. I propose using TV shows to examine public perceptions of the system and how imagery may shape views, learning, and baseline knowledge of procedures. We can then compare images and perceptions to reality over time to advance our understanding of law and society.
This is not to say that imagery and perceptions fully match or depend on TV versus other information sources. But we may find a correlation and growing TV influence on public knowledge. Increasing "postmodern" TV exposure may create more TV-shaped justice perceptions. While accuracy matters, some scholars argue the system works best when citizens know little about its processes (Sarat, 1975). Beyond being independently interesting, analyzing reality shows like "American Justice," especially interactively, can enable a distinct and compelling study of law and society with implications for related cultural, political, and criminal justice research.
References
Carlson, J.M. (2001). Prime time law enforcement. New York: Praeger.
Mann, R., and Williamson, M. (2006). Forensic Detective: How I Cracked the World's Toughest Cases. Balanchine Books
Sarat, A. (1975). "Support for the Legal System." American Political Quarterly, 33-24
TV.com “Thrill Killers” American Justice retrieved from www.TV.com
Weigel, R. H., and Jessor, R. (1999). "Television and adolescent conventionality: An exploratory study." Public Opinion Quarterly, 3779-90.
