When CSI: Crime Scene Investigation debuted on television in 2000, no one could have predicted the impact it would have on the legal system. "The C.S.I. Effect" is used to describe how CSI and its spin-offs and imitators have made members of a jury think they are experts on forensic science and investigation techniques.
In her second CSI-related book, Ramsland expands upon the scientific and investigation procedures that viewers see on the show. Using real examples such as the BTK murders and the O. J. Simpson case as well as episodes from the three CSI shows, Ramsland analyzes the ways technology such as the Internet and DNA testing are revolutionizing the way law enforcement apprehends killers and obtains convictions. Ramsland also looks at how a case can get derailed when eyewitness testimony contradicts the physical evidence or when the handling of the evidence is called into question. A fascinating must-read for CSI fans and anyone interested in criminal justice.
