“TRUE CRIME EFFECT”: THE INFLUENCE OF TRUE CRIME MEDIA ON JURORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INNOCENCE IN A CRIMINAL TRIAL

In the mid-2000s, the popular TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its portrayal of forensic evidence was blamed for a so-called “CSI effect” - hypothesizing that jurors had greater expectations of the use of forensic evidence than was realistic. While CSI has fallen in popularity - ultimately ending its 15-year run on television in 2015 - stories of crime and criminality remain popular. The most recent iteration of this fascination can be seen in the rise in popularity of true crime documentaries and podcasts. This study aims to investigate the existence of a “true crime effect” in which all types of true crime media - documentaries, live case followings, and podcasts – have an impact on a jurors’ conviction rate and belief of innocence in a criminal trial. Furthermore, this study examines how jurors perceive cell phone evidence, being that it is the modern version of scientific evidence and is rising in popularity in criminal prosecutions. Using results from a survey experiment using a burglary case vignette, I examine the effect of true crime consumption and the inclusion of cell phone evidence on jurors’ conviction rates and their guilt perceptions. Results indicate that the amount of true crime consumption is significantly related to both conviction rates and perceptions of innocence, as well as the presentation of cell phone evidence. This suggests that true crime consumption should be considered during voir dire and that cell phone evidence should be heavily focused on by legal actors in a criminal case.