The CSI effect is intrigued by many crime scene shows on television. These shows are based on what real crime scenes and investigators go through. They have a similar process to accessing a crime scene and locating evidence in the crime. They portray the shows to have a real life effect on the real cases and situations that investigators deal with. The increase in different versions of these shows is all over the networks. People enjoy watching the real life crime and the drama that it details. What the shows are simulating is that the crimes can be processed, investigated and solved within an hour time frame. This is not the case of real crime scenes that are not television based. Real crime scenes take much longer than an hour and are not as precise in finding the exact evidence and the exact suspect within minutes of the crime.
The crime scene effect is not actually true to the minute crime scene investigation. “The CSI shows want to make the viewer think the crimes can be solved in a short amount of time and that analyzing evidence is done in a matter of fifteen minutes” . Of course, clearly this is not the real case. The clouded reality of the shows is giving people misconception of how these cases really are performed. They are making people believe that cases should be solved within hours and answers will be available to the crime.
The CSI effect is a believable phenomenon for those who do not work in the CSI field. People who work in the legal field all know that this is not the case. It takes a longer time to access a crime scene, follow up with witnesses, take statements, bring people in for questioning, and analyze the evidence found. The fingerprint examination and collecting take much longer than what it shows on television shows. “There are many steps to fingerprint lifting and it is not a process that should be done quickly became mistakes could occur” . The individuals who have never worked in the legal process may actually believe this is how the current legal system should be conducted. When they are involved in a crime, it may be a shock that it does take much longer. During the court proceeding, the jury members may have a misunderstanding and higher expectations of what is going to occur in court. If they are basing their views only from the CSI shows, then they may feel disappointed.
The impact the CSI effect phenomenon may have on trial is that it will not take very long for the trial process. The impact may also come for the jurors who are inexperienced of the legal system but watch many of the CSI shows. Their expectations may be that there will be all types of evidence including, forensic, ballistics, DNA, witness statements, and photos. “They may think that without all this evidence presented in the trial that the person is innocent” . The lack of evidence could have them confused and think without the prominent evidence there is no guilt.
The person who is on trial may think that because he had watched CSI shows, he can get out of trouble. He may think his crime was solid and there was no evidence that could be used in the trial. These shows have given a stigma on what trial process and crime solving is all about. The court process takes longer than an hour. There may be a trial without DNA or ballistics. The trial can have a lot of evidence presented if it was available at the crime scene, or the trial could present little evidence that was collected at the crime scene. Every case is different, and not ever criminal is going to leave a lot of evidence behind. “The jurors have a misinterpreted view of the trial process and evidence that may not be available” .
The CSI effect has caused great confusion concerning the real process of crime scene investigating. It has given a false perception of how the time frame is for accessing the scene, collecting evidence, processing and examining the evidence, and trial. People may not understand why an investigation is taking so long or why there is little information is known within the first 24 hours.
Reference
Network, C. (Director). (2010). Developing Latent Fingerprints with Black Powder [Motion Picture].
