CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

DATE: First aired on October 6, 2000

IDENTIFICATION: Popular television series franchise involving teams of crime scene investigators who solve unusual crimes through the collection of physical evidence and analysis of this evidence using technologically advanced forensic procedures.

SIGNIFICANCE: The original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation television series and its spin-offs (CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, CSI: Cyber, and CSI: Vegas) are very popular both within and outside the United States. Some criminal justice authorities and legal scholars have voiced concern that exposure to these shows has generated unrealistic expectations in the general public about the collection and forensic analysis of crime-related evidence. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the “CSI effect.” Although the existence of such an effect has not been confirmed by systematic research, anecdotal evidence of the CSI effect has been widely shared among legal authorities, and concerns regarding the television programs’ negative impact continue to be a topic for discussion and debate.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a television crime drama that depicts how a team of criminal investigators solve crimes by gathering and examining forensic evidence using technically advanced methods and tools. Created by Anthony E. Zuiker, the original CSI debuted in 2000 and soon became one of the most-watched crime dramas on television. The show’s popularity can be attributed to its fresh and modern portrayal of criminal investigation. What made CSI different from traditional police shows of the past was its story lines, which focus more on the “how” of crime than on the “who.” The popularity of CSI soon led to two spin-off series, CSI: Miami began airing in 2002 and CSI: NY in 2004. Both of these programs followed the same premise: a team of crime scene investigators solves crimes through the collection and examination of forensic evidence. By 2007, the original CSI was being aired in two hundred countries and was watched by an estimated two billion viewers. CSI: Miami was canceled in 2012 and CSI: NY in 2013, but in 2015 a third spin-off, CSI: Cyber began airing. CSI: Cyber had a greater focus on computer technology and hacking as well as behavioral psychology, but still involved forensic investigation. The original series concluded later that year, and CSI: Cyber was canceled in 2016 after two seasons. CSI: Vegas, a relaunch of the original series, debuted in 2021. In addition to the spin-off television series, CSI spawned comic books, novels, and computer games.

Examples of Forensic Evidence

CSI episodes depict many different types of physical evidence that can be collected at crime scenes as well as the various tools and procedures that can be used to analyze such evidence. The types of physical evidence that can be collected from crime scenes vary greatly and depend heavily on location and type of crime. For example, the physical evidence available for collection at the scene of a robbery is quite different from that available at a murder scene. Physical evidence might include marks on a victim’s body, such as abrasions or bite marks. Fingerprints on a door or a window frame also constitute physical evidence, as does blood left behind by a likely perpetrator. Trace evidence is a type of physical evidence that can be collected and forensically examined; this kind of evidence is commonly depicted in CSI episodes. Trace evidence is found when a small amount of material has transferred from either one location or person to another location or person; examples of include gunshot residue and fibers from clothing or carpeting.

Just as many types of physical evidence can be found at crime scenes, forensic scientists use many different tools and procedures to examine and test physical evidence. The tools of crime scene investigation may range from the brushes used to apply powder to fingerprint areas to the zNose, an “electronic nose” that has the ability to detect and identify different types of gases and vapors. Crime scene investigators use a number of different tools to collect blood samples, fiber samples, tire impressions, shoe impressions, and bite marks. These and many other types of tools allow for the identification and collection of potentially important samples of physical evidence. By collecting and testing samples from crime scenes, forensic scientists help to piece together the events that took place there, which can lead to the identification of the perpetrators.

The Impact of CSI

In the television world, crime scene investigators have a variety of responsibilities in addition to the collection and analysis of the physical evidence found at crime scenes. On CSI they also interview witnesses, victims, and suspects. If the forensic evidence reveals an individual’s guilt, the crime scene investigators are involved in tracking down, confronting, and arresting the perpetrator. These dramatic embellishments of the role of crime scene investigators and their use of forensic evidence have generated a great deal of concern and debate among legal authorities. This concern is directed at the possibility that CSI and similar shows have created unrealistic expectations among viewers and the general public regarding how forensic evidence is used in the criminal justice system, and these expectations may have repercussions in the courts. For example, when CSI viewers serve on juries, they may expect all types of forensic evidence, specifically DNA evidence, to be presented during trial, and they may expect this evidence to be conclusive in revealing the guilt or innocence of defendants. This potential problem is popularly referred to as the CSI effect. During the jury selection process, some courts even screen out potential jurors who are CSI fans.

Although this topic has received a great deal of attention, the existence of the CSI effect has yet to be confirmed. Despite many anecdotal reports from prosecuting attorneys and other legal authorities, no systematic empirical research has proven that the CSI effect has had any real impact on legal proceedings. Indeed, a 2008 study of one thousand jurors found that their familiarity with CSI had no significant correlation with their propensity to convict. In another way, however, CSI and similar television programs have had a clear impact: After they began to air, forensic science education programs across the United States experienced noticeable increases in applications. Researchers have also noted that juries' faith in DNA evidence prompted more investigators to collect DNA from crime scenes even when it was not relevant to the case.

Bibliography

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Holloway, Daniel. “‘CSI: Cyber’ Canceled at CBS.” Variety, 12 May 2016, variety.com/2016/tv/news/csi-cyber-canceled-at-cbs-1201772864/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2016.

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Tyler, Tom R. “Viewing CSI and the Threshold of Guilt: Managing Truth and Justice in Reality and Fiction.” Yale Law Journal 115.5 (2006): 1050–1085. Print.