CSI--Miami finally gets something right...

[Travis McGee]

I would personally be amazed if a SIG failed with less than a thousand rounds of factory ammo fired through it without cleaning.

 

[Checkman]

I recorded that episode.I'm a cop, but I actually like CSI: Miami despite it's flights of fanatasy. Speed was carrying a Baby Desert Eagle. I paused the shot where CAli shows her report to Horatio. At the top it identifed Horatios wepaon as a Sig and that he fired six rounds. Though I wasn't able to read what speed was carrying I went back and paused the scene where Cali is examining his handgun. It was a Baby DE. I also remember the other episode where his gun malfunctioned because it was dirty. He was carrying the Baby DE in that one as well.

I have encountered one officer who carried the Baby DE. He didn't carry it for very long. We confiscated one from a shooting a couple of years ago. Two guys were fighting over it and they managed to shoot each other. Neither wound was fatal. A few months ago I took that gun out to the range (after an extensive cleaning) and fired it. I wasn't impressed. But in all fairness the specimen I fired had been passed around by the local gang bangers/dealers for a few years so it's maintanence hadn't been ideal.

Actually I think Cali is great. A blonde southern gal who likes firearms.

 

[grnzbra]

I didn't record it so I couldn't go back to check, but when they did the internal shot of the gun jamming, it appeared that it might have been a brass shaving that jammed the gun (also, I tend to multi-task while whatching the tube, so this observation may be way out in left field - gee, I wonder why things that are stupid and off the wall are referred to as out in left field)

 

[Henry Bowman]

So, experts, what exactly was the malfunction? The computer animation fx made it look like the firing pin moved, but did not reach the primer. Was the pin blocked or was the slide out of battery? The hunk of gunk they showed appeared to be in the rails, not the striker mechanism. I opined the latter (out of battery) to my wife when I saw it. She assumed I knew what I was talking about, but I was less conifident in actuality.

 

[cidirkona]

if he lacked the simple attention to detail skills to keep his pistol cleaned (a not very complex task for most of us)

Ever owned a 1911?!

-Colin

 

[papercut]

Checkman observed:
Actually I think Cali is great. A blonde southern gal who likes firearms.

She is about the only reason I watch that show. (BTW, they spell it "Calleigh" on the show.)

I am continually amused, though, at how the actors periodically make reference to checking a (Florida) state handgun registration list, usually as a major plot device to help the investigators find the "real killer." Obviously either the show's writers can't be bothered to check the law, or the producers are trying to subtly push a gun-registration-list law by showing how helpful it is.

Eddited too ficks ae speling misteak.

 

[Kamicosmos]

Actually I think Cali is great. A blonde southern gal who likes firearms.

Yet another fan here! Only reason I watch the show. I despise Caruso. Just can't stand his ... style. In fact, I usually channel hop quite a bit, just check back to get a shot of our favorite ballistic tech.

Speaking of her, her real name is Emily. Which is nice for me, cause I almost got a date with a tall, blue eye blonde southern girl (from Texas) named Emily. So...well. Yeah. I'll just drop it....

 

[Checkman]

Kamicosmos-

Many years ago before I met my wife (a beautiful blonde from Oregon) I dated a blue eyed blonde girl from South Carolina called Betty. I was in the Army on TDY at Ft. Knox. I was there for approximately five months. I still favor that state because of her. I wonder if she would still recognize me now that my hairline has moved south. Fortunately my waistline has made up the difference. Ahhh memories.

 

[Pilgrim]

"No. ma'am we cannot actually tell the make, model and year of the badguy's car by analyzing the pile of feces he left on your kitchen table, and no, there is not a photo-negative image of him, her or it burned onto the retina of your toy poodle who defended your home and hearth by being stuffed into the kitchen wastebasket, presumably not of it's on free will, but by the cranked out tweaker who, with any luck at all will gork out having taken an entire bottle of your husband's angina nitro......."

There was a short piece on Good Morning America on how jurors in criminal trials have come to expect a super detailed explanation - because of watching CSI - by crime scene investigators on why the defendant "did it." They are disappointed that instead of being presented absolute proof, they are expected to draw inferences from small bits of evidence and other circumstantial evidence. As a result, some prosecutors are coming to fear there is at least one CSI "expert" in the jury who will sway the rest of the jurors to vote not guilty. On the other hand, jury selection consultants working for defense attorneys look for CSI fans amongst prospective jurors.

I had one of my students from my Administration of Justice classes proudly tell me how she swayed a jury to acquit a defendant in a DUI trial. The jury became hung and the judge had to declare a mistrial. She picked apart the arresting officer's probable cause to arrest, the operation of the Intoxolizer machine, etc. She was looking for proof of absolute certainty instead of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

[BluesBear]

Which is why we were t aught ti nevcer ask for photographs of bullet comparison to be used in court. Instead you just rely on expert testimony.

Ask anyone who has ever used a comparison microscope and they will tell you that two bullets will NEVER match up exactly like they do on TV. Even two bullet that you fire as a test won't do it.