Separating Fact from (Forensic Science) Fiction: Forensic Laboratories and the CSI Effect Max M. Houck Director, Forensic Science Initiative Manager, Forensic

Separating Fact from (Forensic Science) Fiction: Forensic Laboratories and the CSI Effect Max M. Houck Director, Forensic Science Initiative Manager, Forensic Business Research and Development West Virginia University

2 Bachelor of Sciences in Forensic and Investigative Sciences Accredited by the Forensic Science Educational Program Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) Three tracks Forensic biology Forensic chemistry Forensic examiner Internship Largest major at WVU

3 Facilities Three Crime Scene Houses Vehicle Processing Facility Laboratory space around campus Oglebay Hall Renovation of18,000 sq ft on main campus September of 2007

4 Resources: AFIS and IBIS

5 (Forensic) Science Fiction It has captured public interest from the start Edgar Allen Poe, The Murders on the Rue Morgue Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes Were intrigued by the darker side of humanity We get to dabble in those activities that society discourages Restoring order to the disorder of crime Humans inherently are curious and enjoy puzzles, clues, and solutions

6 The problem is, we end up with this

7 Science vs. Entertainment Conflicting goals Truth doesnt make good fiction Story lines need to be jazzed to meet the current trends in entertainment Its all about the ratings, not the facts of the case Dramatizations clean up the messy truth They have prettier casts and larger budgets Everything gets solved in an hour

8 Quincy, M.E. First show with forensic, not police, emphasis Ran from mid 70s to 1983 Based very roughly on Dr. Thomas Noguchi, then L.A. Countys Coroner Somewhat of a celebrity himself

9 Crossing Jordan Quincy never dressed like this

10 CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York Very popular show On one Thursday last October, 27 percent of all American televisions that were turned on were tuned to CSI. CSI Miami is the most watched show ever. Addresses the range of forensic science Highly dramatic More of an attempt to portray science at the center of the show

11 The CSI Effect The unrealistic expectations the public has regarding what forensic science can accomplish based on watching a few hours of CSI Always precise and correct Do everything (cop, scene, lab) Have everything (training, equipment) Test everything (time & money dont matter) Suspect always confesses (rarely see the courtroom side of things)

12 Marina Kanakarades Star of CSI: New York Some of these people are really nerdy scientific people. The remarkable thing about this whole franchise is that they made science sexy. USAToday, 2004

13 Remember, its TV

14 Who does this affect? Cops Over-collect; higher expectations Prosecutors Demand (scientifically) unnecessary tests to cover all eventualities Defense attorneys Flawed/perfect science dooms their client Juries Require excessive and unneeded tests to shake unreasonable doubt Forensic scientists Receive the brunt of excessive expectations and demanded action

15 CSI Effect: The Lawyers In the California murder trial of actor Robert Blake, prosecutors tried to persuade the jury by establishing Blakes motive and opportunity, and they presented witnesses who testified that Blake asked them to kill his wife. But no gunshot residue or blood spatter evidence was presented, and Blake was acquitted. A juror was quoted as saying that if the prosecutor had all that in- formation, that would have meant [Blake] was guilty. The defeat was the prosecutors first in 50 murder cases.

16 CSI Effect: The Public A Knoxville, Tenn., police officer reported, I had a victim of a car robbery, and he saw a red fiber in the back of his car. He said he wanted me to run tests to find out what it was from, what retail store that object was purchased at, and what credit card was used.

17 CSI Effect: The Public Jurors in a Los Angeles murder case complained that a bloody coat had not been tested for DNA, even though such tests were unnecessary: the defendant had already admitted to having been at the crime scene. The judge noted that TV had taught jurors about DNA tests but not about when they should be used.

18 CSI Effect: The Police As police investigators gain appreciation for the advantages of science and also feel pressure to collect increasing amounts of evidence, they are submitting more material from more cases for forensic analysis. Police detectives who at one time might have gathered five pieces of evidence from a crime scene say they are collecting 50 to 400 today. In 1989 Virginia labs processed only a few dozen cases. The number of cases being submitted this year has ballooned into the thousands.

19 CSI Effect: The Labs A study by the Department of Justices Bureau of Justice Statistics found that at the end of 2002 (the latest available data), more than half a million cases were backlogged in forensic labs, despite the fact that tests were being processed at or above 90 percent of the expected completion rate. To achieve a 30-day turnaround time for the requests of that year, the study estimated a need for another 1,900 full-time employees. Another Justice Department study showed that the 50 largest forensic laboratories received more than 1.2 million requests for services in 2002: the backlog of cases for these facilities had doubled in the course of one year. And these increases have happened even though crime rates have fallen since 1994.

20 Why does that matter? Backlogs Over 500,000 backlogged forensic requests in 2002 (most recent data) Backlogged cases may have been committed by active criminals Funding If everyone thinks forensic labs are perfect, then why fund them? Justice Juries overcompensate and have unrealistic views of what constitutes science

21 Forensic Science Education The number of programs has soared in the last few years Little regulation until recently Forensic Science Educational Program Accreditation Commission through the American Academy of Forensic Sciences www.aafs.orgwww.aafs.org Enrollments up dramatically Some let down once they realize that we meant forensic science

0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 60.00 200020012002 200320042005 Enrollments Graduates Dotted lines represent means Enrollments and Graduates of Accredited Forensic Educational Programs

24 1994-1997 (%'s)2002-2005 U.S. Population Science in Prime Time (%s) CSI White Male417541.2 Female42.113.223.5 Black Male68.311.8 Female6.61.411.8 Hispanic1101.8 Asian30.70

25 $7M

26 Keys to Avoiding a CSI Effect Educating attorneys, judges, and the public about the real forensic science Funding forensic science laboratories so they look like the ones on TV Educate students, accredit laboratories, certify practitioners Competitive research funding

27 One of the most fundamental obligations of any democratic government to its citizens is to ensure public safety in a just manner. Forensic science is an integral and critical part of the criminal justice process. In the 21st century properly educated, well- equipped, fully staffed forensic science laboratories are essential to the fulfillment of that obligation.

28 Top Ten Reasons Forensic Science Isnt Like CSI 10. A forensic entomologist is never in charge 9. Real forensic labs can afford light bulbs 8. Luminol doesn't work in daylight-- Doh! 7. Real forensic labs don't use ceiling fans 6. We wear lab coats, not Sig Sauers 5. Not every sample gets run on the GC/MS 4. We don't move to a new city to get better ratings 3. Don't get me started on the fingerprint computer 2. We took chemistry classes not acting classes 1. It takes longer than 1 hour to solve a case

Documents

Separating Fact from (Forensic Science) Fiction: Forensic Laboratories and the CSI Effect Max M. Houck Director, Forensic Science Initiative Manager, Forensic