For decades, the police procedural has been a dominant force in television, captivating audiences with its blend of high-stakes drama, intricate puzzles, and a cast of brilliant, often larger-than-life characters. Shows like NCIS, CSI, and Law & Order have become cultural touchstones, shaping our perceptions of law enforcement and the criminal justice system. But for all their entertainment value, these shows are famously rife with inaccuracies. The superhuman abilities of detectives, the unrealistically fast DNA results, the constant gunfights, and the seamless integration of technology that doesn’t yet exist are all a part of the Hollywood fantasy.
However, amidst the hyper-stylized action and the dramatic liberties, there is one element that these shows consistently portray with surprising accuracy: the meticulous, often unglamorous process of evidence handling and the chain of custody. This is the unsexy, bureaucratic part of police work that is the legal foundation for every single case. And it is, ironically, the most realistic part of a genre that often has little to do with reality.
The Hollywood Lie vs. The Legal Reality
Hollywood exists to compress time, combine roles, and create dramatic conflict. In real life, a DNA test takes weeks, not minutes. The average detective doesn’t also perform autopsies, run the forensic lab, and solve the case in a single day. These creative liberties are necessary for a 45-minute episode to work. But there is one area where the writers know they can’t get away with a simple shortcut: the integrity of evidence.
This is where the concept of chain of custody comes in. In the simplest terms, chain of custody is a documented, chronological record of a piece of evidence. It’s a paper trail that shows every person who has ever had possession of a piece of evidence, from the moment it was collected at the crime scene to the moment it is presented in court. This meticulous process is the legal backbone of any criminal prosecution. A single mistake—a missing signature, an unsealed bag, a lapse in documentation—can be enough for a defense attorney to argue that the evidence was tampered with, potentially getting the entire case thrown out.
While the dramatic climax of a show might be a high-speed chase or a tense interrogation, the real-life climax of a case often happens in a courtroom, where a prosecutor meticulously presents a paper trail to a judge and jury, proving that the evidence has been protected and preserved. This is a point that even the most sensationalized TV shows understand.
How NCIS and Others Nail It
NCIS is a perfect example of a show that, despite its many dramatic flights of fancy, gets this crucial element right. The show’s lab, run by forensic scientist Abby Sciuto, is a hub of technological wizardry and impossible-to-get-in-real-life results. But every piece of evidence that comes into her lab is always handled with a strict protocol.
- The T-shirt in a bag: A detective, whether it’s Gibbs, DiNozzo, or Ziva, is always shown putting a piece of evidence in a sealed, clearly labeled bag. They wear gloves. They handle the evidence with a sense of purpose. This is not just a visual shorthand; it’s a nod to a real-life procedure.
- The Meticulous M.E.: Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard and his assistant, Jimmy Palmer, always handle bodies with a specific, and often verbose, protocol. They document everything, from the clothes the victim was wearing to the smallest wounds.
- The Courtroom Showdown: Time and again, in episodes of NCIS and other cop shows, a major plot point revolves around a defense lawyer attempting to prove that the chain of custody was broken. A piece of evidence was left unattended, a signature was missed, or a bag was not sealed properly. This kind of plot point, while a source of dramatic tension, is rooted in the legal reality of the criminal justice system. It is a testament to the fact that even in a fictional world, the unglamorous work of evidence handling is the most important part of the job.
This accuracy isn’t just limited to NCIS. It’s a hallmark of the genre. From the early seasons of CSI, which pioneered the use of forensics on TV, to the courtroom dramas of Law & Order, the shows consistently acknowledge the importance of a clean paper trail.
Why This Accuracy Matters
This surprising accuracy in a genre known for its fantastical elements serves a dual purpose.
Narrative Function: It gives the audience a sense of procedural truth. It grounds the show in reality, even as the detectives are performing feats of superhuman intelligence. The audience knows that while the rest of the show is a fantasy, the small details, the gloves, the sealed bags, and the meticulous documentation are a reflection of a real-life process. It’s the show’s way of saying, “We might be taking liberties with the story, but we respect the process.”
Ethical Foundation: It reinforces the importance of legal due process. It shows that police work isn’t just about catching the bad guy; it’s about doing it correctly so that the case holds up in court. This is a surprisingly ethical message in a genre that is often criticized for its “ends justify the means” approach. It reminds viewers that the legal system is built on a foundation of evidence, not on the hunches of a genius detective.
In the end, while we watch our favorite detectives solve a case in under an hour, we are also, without realizing it, being taught a lesson in legal due process. The most exciting part of a cop show may be the car chases and the gunfights, but the most accurate and the most important part is the meticulous, unglamorous process of evidence handling. It is a testament to the fact that even in fiction, the most boring, bureaucratic parts of a job are often the most important.
