2015/04/14
The Grand Island Independent April 11, 2015: Life in the crime lab is not like it is on TV
The influence of TV crime shows has changed the expectations of juries, says the director of the Nebraska State Patrol’s Crime Lab.
Because of the TV shows, Pam Zilly believes “there is more of an expectation, particularly from juries, that there will be forensic evidence in every case,” and that the evidence will be presented to them.
In the real world, forensic evidence might exist, but it won’t be presented to a jury because it isn’t relevant, Zilly said. For example, if a son is accused of stealing his father’s truck, the son’s fingerprints and DNA are probably all over the truck because he’s used it legitimately in the past. In the case of a bank robbery, it’s not worth worrying about fingerprints if the suspect is a customer who visited the bank earlier that day. more