CSI effect

The CSI effect is a supposed shift in the attitudes of jurors due to the exaggerated portrayal of forensic science on television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which premiered in 2000. Jurors may expect large amounts of forensic evidence (such as fingerprinting and DNA analysis) in criminal trials, raising the effective standard of proof for prosecutors. The term was first reported in a 2004 USA Today article describing the effect being made on trial jurors by television programs featuring forensic science.

While this belief is widely held among American legal professionals, some studies have suggested that crime shows are unlikely to cause such an effect, although frequent CSI viewers may place a lower value on circumstantial evidence. As technology improves and becomes more prevalent throughout society, people may also develop higher expectations for the capabilities of forensic technology. The CSI effect has also re-popularized the forensic sector of the criminal justice system in the media and academia.

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