The Real CSI
Evidence collected at crime scenes -- everything from fingerprints to bite marks -- is routinely called upon in the courtroom to prosecute the most difficult crimes and put the accused behind bars. And though glamorized on commercial television, in the real world it's not so cut-and-dried. FRONTLINE investigates the serious flaws in some of the best-known tools of forensic science.
Previews + Extras
"This Prosecution Was So Desperate"
S2012 E6 - 2m 13s
Jose Baez, Casey Anthony's defense attorney, on the "phantom heart-shaped sticker" evidence presented by the prosecution at the sensational murder trial.
"Consistent With Human Decomposition"
S2012 E6 - 2m 27s
Casey Anthony prosecutor Jeff Ashton on presenting the "smell of death" evidence at the sensational murder trial.
"Nowhere Near Ready for a Courtroom"
S2012 E6 - 1m 30s
Jose Baez, Casey Anthony's defense attorney, on the "smell of death" evidence presented by the prosecution at the sensational murder trial.
"Someone Typed 'How To Make Chloroform'"
S2012 E6 - 2m 22s
Casey Anthony prosecutor Jeff Ashton on presenting the computer search for "chloroform" during the sensational murder trial.
"It Was an Unprovable Case"
S2012 E6 - 2m 22s
Jose Baez, Casey Anthony's defense attorney, reflects on the not guilty verdict at the end of the murder trial. "I didn't buy it," he says about the evidence. "And neither did the jury."
It "Started and Ended With Cause of Death"
S2012 E6 - 1m 48s
Casey Anthony prosecutor Jeff Ashton on reflections on the not guilty verdict at the end of the murder trial, and why a lack of cause of death may have ultimately made up the jury's mind.
"Digital Forensics Can Be Flawed"
S2012 E6 - 2m 6s
Jose Baez, Casey Anthony's defense attorney, on the computer search for "chloroform" presented by the prosecution at the sensational murder trial.
"Not Worth the Time and Effort"
S2012 E6 - 2m 18s
Casey Anthony prosecutor Jeff Ashton on presenting the heart-shaped sticker evidence at the sensational murder trial.
Cyril Wecht: The Interview Excerpts
S2012 E6 - 3m 19s
The well-known forensic pathologist and spokesman for ACFEI, a large certification organization, discusses the controversy surrounding the company with FRONTLINE. How stringent are ACFEI's forensic credentialing standards?
The Fingerprint Examiner's Achilles Heel
S2012 E6 - 3m 53s
Can knowing the details of a crime alter the matchmaking process? Yes, says neuroscientist Itiel Dror. It's called cognitive bias, and it can happen to even the most competent expert.
The Real CSI Preview
S2012 E6 - 30s
From the courtroom to the living room (thanks to the hit television series CSI), forensic science is king. But how reliable is the science behind forensics? In "The Real CSI" coming April 17, FRONTLINE correspondent Lowell Bergman finds serious flaws in some of the best-known tools of forensic science and wide inconsistencies in how forensic evidence is presented in the courtroom.
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