CSI effect is a notion by the law enforcement people such as lawyers and prosecutors in the television dramas involving forensic science, for instance, CSI, influence the jurors in America to anticipate extraordinary forensic evidence production in court so as to convict a criminal. In forensic science television dramas, the investigators collect and analyze samples as well as solve the crimes within the stipulated time of the episodes. The law enforcers know that this time frame is not realistic but with each watched episode the public which is where the jurors in the courtroom are picked have their opinion influenced by these shows. The CSI effect has affected jurors making them demand more scientific evidence to make a judgment on a case.
The CSI effect is an issue of concern to the judicial system because jurors may let criminals walk without facing the law due to the failure of the prosecutors to produce tangible evidence in court. The use of DNA alone in a court of law should not be encouraged, and this is because it is subject to human error, contamination and also prone to accidents through manipulation of results (Curtom, 2014). Use of DNA can be considered reliable but not always infallible. Other forms of evidence such as the presence of a motive or availability of a confession or a witness should be added to support the DNA evidence.
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Over the years many court cases have had the CSI effect affecting their outcome for instance; the Amanda Knox case and the two cops who were set free by a Manhattan Supreme Court escaped justice because the prosecutors could not produce scientific evidence linking the cops to the crime scene among other cases. In the trial of the two cops, no evidence of semen or other physical evidence was presented and as such the jurors said they could not rely on the memory of the victim hence acquitting the cops (Jacobs, 2011).
In conclusion, the CSI effect has impacted on the outcome of several cases making it an issue of concern as guilty people may go scotfree hence not serving justice to the people that deserve it. DNA alone cannot be relied upon to give a verdict in court. Many cases as mentioned above have had the CSI effect impact their outcome hence hindering the delivery of justice.
References
Curtom, G. (2014, February 17). “CSI effect” condemns Amanda Knox trial, bad news for future cases. The Daily cougar , Retrieved from http://thedailycougar.com/2014/02/17/csi-effect-condemns-amanda-knox-trial-bad-news-future-cases/
Jacobs, S. (2011, February 27). The CSI Effect: Lack of DNA Evidence Spared Cops Accused of Rape. DNAinfo. Retrieved https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20110527/lower-east-side-east-village/csi-effect-spared-cops-accused-of-rape-legal-experts-say
