200-word response 2 references/intext citation Due 1/11/2024

Dugar

1.
What do you think the effect of the popular forensic TV shows have had on the forensic community?

Popular TV shows have the ability to influence the community of audience that watch them. Popular forensic TV shows in particular have the capability of creating a certain imaginations or perspectives in the minds of those that watch it as well as have certain effects on the forensic community. Usually, the forensic TV shows significantly exaggerate forensic science and glorifies it to almost no fault. There is a notion created that forensic science can solve every case as it is presented as accurate and perfect. Cases after cases are presented and shown to be easily solved by forensic science especially those in which other techniques have proven difficult. According to Schweitzer and Saks (2007), the forensic community is affected by such portrayals through burdening their roles. For example, the public has a greater expectation on the prosecution to provide answers through forensic science even some of which cannot be delivered. The defense is also burdened with exaggerated faith in the abilities and reliability of forensic science to provide them with the answers they are seeking. In cases where any of the expectations from either side is not met, the players will experience great disappointment and may even doubt the outcome or the expertise of those involved in the process such as the forensic scientists. As more and more popular shows are released with exaggerated level of perfection, the pressure will continue to build on the forensic community to provide the anticipated results.

1.
How actuate do you feel the CSI type shows are to the real thing?

Shows such as CSI have a significant degree of resemblance to the real thing on the ground but not to a hundred percent. The bar of perfection is ridiculously high on such shows which may not be the case in the real world. Real and created challenges sometimes hinders the possibility of some cases to be resolved. For example, the team in CSI are meticulous and they solve many murder cases in Las Vegas. While many crime-scene investigators are good at their job, the reality is not always as portrayed in this series. In the first chapter “Here we stand: What a Forensic Scientist Does,” Nordby observes that although the number in the bag and the number on the bag are supposed to equate, that would only happen in a perfect world. There are so many people that handle the material that requires to be forensically tested that the possibility of an error occurring is undeniable. Nordby also mentions how some individuals could be serving more than one position thereby creating a conflict of interest in some cases. For example, in some tiny jurisdictions, Nordby points that coroners could also be serving as “sheriffs, prosecutors, or funeral directors” (p.4). Some medical examiners could also be working under the prosecutorial office. Such complexities could create conflict of interest which could trigger alterations of reports thus challenging the efficiency of forensic science.