A Meta-Analysis of the CSI Effect: The Impact of Popular Media on Jurors’ Perception of Forensic Evidence

The CSI effect describes the perception in the criminal justice system, popular media, and general population that consumption of crime-based television programming focusing on the forensic sciences has created a juror bias toward the requirement of forensic evidence at trial to justify a conviction. It is proposed that this bias has resulted in increasing the burden of proof laid upon the state at trial from beyond a reasonable doubt to beyond any doubt. This raised standard of proof has allowed guilty defendants to go free because of this bias. This article provides a meta-analysis of empirical studies of the CSI effect that examine the behavior of jurors and the influence of popular media on the trial decision-making process.