When I was working narcotics in New York in the late 1980s - early 1990s, the television show, Miami Vice had left its impact. We called it the Miami Vice effect. By that, we meant that when we brought a case to court, juries were expecting to see drug agents dressed in pastel colors seizing race cars and speed boats with millions of dollars and hundreds of kilos of cocaine. Working in New York, we made some good cases and pretty big seizures, but nothing like television.

More recently, law enforcement would refer to the CSI effect. Here, judges and juries expect cops and especially the FBI to perform the same kind of forensics that they would see on CSI – and usually within the same one hour time frame. While forensic capabilities have come a long way, once again, it is nothing like television.

If you have been watching the Casey Anthony murder trial, you will see some interesting forensics. You will also see some good examples of legal strategies at work. This is an interesting case. If you are writing crime novels, you may want to pay attention to this case. I think you will pick up some interesting tidbits. Sometimes life imitates art and sometimes art must reflect life.