With the onset of television shows like CSI and NCIS, people have their own views of how the Criminal Justice System uses and obtains forensic evidence. One of the main issues with the media influence today is how people assume that forensics in the real world is exactly like the shows that portray it. “If people’s reactions to crime and criminals are generally shaped by the mass media, then it seems reasonable to assume that public reactions to criminal cases are shaped by shows like CSI” (Tyler, 2006). These shows exhibit a perfect answer every time, with a nonexistent turnaround time on the evidence, and the best case scenario when it comes to types and amounts of evidence found, but is this really realistic? Tyler (2006) states that
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Properly storing and keeping evidence, especially biological evidence, can be the one thing to help prove the innocence of a person who has been convicted wrongfully. (Weathered 2007) “Without such preservation of evidence, any current or future institutions created to investigate claims of wrongful conviction cannot efficiently undertake their work and, as a result, applicants will remain wrongly convicted” (Weathered, 2004). The first step is to recognize that a wrongful conviction is possible and has occurred, then action can be taken towards correcting and preventing it from befalling again. (Weathered, 2007) If we, as a system, do not push to find ways to stop, or at least correct a wrongful conviction, people will have their lives ruined, and as seen in some cases they have died before they could be exonerated. Wiseman (2010) explains the case of Timothy Cole, along with four others, that have unfortunately have been exonerated posthumously through DNA testing. By looking at cases such as these, not only can the system work to exonerating those who have been improperly imprisoned, it can also bring to light many of the underlying causes of these convictions. (Wiseman, …show more content…
Their belief was that one error was one too many and they needed to address the issues that were acknowledged within the casework. This push lead to many different groups working together to work towards making the system better overall including addressing eyewitness testimony, crime scene, and death investigations. The co-founders of the Innocence Project also used this push as a way to address a “learning-from-error initiative”. Additional help was added every time the groups pushed forward, many times from oppositions in the courtroom. These random groups in the beginning has now fashioned a significant list of accomplishments that have changed the way crimes are investigated and resolved. Among this list include updated legislation, best practices, binding and non- binding administrative guidelines, as well as training programs. (Doyle,
Properly storing and keeping evidence, especially biological evidence, can be the one thing to help prove the innocence of a person who has been convicted wrongfully. (Weathered 2007) “Without such preservation of evidence, any current or future institutions created to investigate claims of wrongful conviction cannot efficiently undertake their work and, as a result, applicants will remain wrongly convicted” (Weathered, 2004). The first step is to recognize that a wrongful conviction is possible and has occurred, then action can be taken towards correcting and preventing it from befalling again. (Weathered, 2007) If we, as a system, do not push to find ways to stop, or at least correct a wrongful conviction, people will have their lives ruined, and as seen in some cases they have died before they could be exonerated. Wiseman (2010) explains the case of Timothy Cole, along with four others, that have unfortunately have been exonerated posthumously through DNA testing. By looking at cases such as these, not only can the system work to exonerating those who have been improperly imprisoned, it can also bring to light many of the underlying causes of these convictions. (Wiseman, …show more content…
Their belief was that one error was one too many and they needed to address the issues that were acknowledged within the casework. This push lead to many different groups working together to work towards making the system better overall including addressing eyewitness testimony, crime scene, and death investigations. The co-founders of the Innocence Project also used this push as a way to address a “learning-from-error initiative”. Additional help was added every time the groups pushed forward, many times from oppositions in the courtroom. These random groups in the beginning has now fashioned a significant list of accomplishments that have changed the way crimes are investigated and resolved. Among this list include updated legislation, best practices, binding and non- binding administrative guidelines, as well as training programs. (Doyle,