This class will examine the work real CSIs do in contrast to their portrayal on TV and in movies, including discrepancies about numbers of personnel involved and the time-line of a real-world investigation. Various types of evidence will be discussed, including the old school, yet still very relevant fingerprints, as well as the ever-improving science of DNA analysis. We’ll examine “the CSI Effect” on potential jurors, as well as real cases with significant crime scene elements such as the O.J. Simpson case and the Jon Benet Ramsey case. We will discuss how the low-tech work of the CSI connects to the high-tech work of the crime lab analysts and the use of computer databases. Learn how defense attorneys attack CSI findings during trials and the possible ramifications of their efforts. Participants will have the opportunity to dust and recover their own fingerprints.
ADVISORY: Real cases will be discussed including graphic crime-scene photos.