Book Review: Law and Justice on the Small Screen

• Date: 01 March 2013
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567713476884
• Author: Corey Patrick Call
• Published date: 01 March 2013
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

evidence generated. As in all other fields, there are many subdivisions in computer forensics. You

cannot expect to tackle all cybercrimes by knowing just one or two techniques.

Despite my overall appreciation for Dr. Maras’ book, I have one critique. In the book, Dr. Maras

seems to imply computer forensics is for the investigation of cybercrime. I must point out the fact

that in today’s society where technology has been embedded in our everyday life, digital evidence

can be applicable to any crime, because electronic devices could be used in any crime that is not

normally construed as cybercrime. For example, a murderer could videotape his killing using his cell

phone. It is not a cybercrime but the crucial evidence can be stored in the form of digital evidence.

E-mail can be used for communication between criminals. Even though they did not commit crime

through e-mail, the e-mail conversation could still serve as evidence. Global positioning system

devices also could store important evidence related to a criminal’s whereabouts in a case that is not

necessarily cybercrime. To think of computer forensics as cybercrime investigation is incomprehen-

sive. Computer forensics ought to be seen as part of forensic science that could be applicable in any

crime investigations. Moreover, computer forensics not only generates evidence in a legal sense but

also provides useful leads for investigation. This is to say even if the information extracted from

electronic devices is not forensic evidence per se, computer forensics might still be able to offer

clues for investigators to look for evidence somewhere else or to profile the suspect. For example,

the websites a suspect frequently visits may not prove any crime but such information can

help understand the suspect’s hobby and interest. If the full utility of computer forensics can be

clearly identified, it would be beneficial for the reader to understand the practicality of computer

forensics and thus circumvents the misconception that suggests computer forensics is only relevant

to cybercrime.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone, including practitioners, academics, and

students, who is interested in computer forensics. It addresses not only the technique but also the law

and the criminal background. Dr. Maras’ writing style renders great readability and the organization

of the book is superb.

Peter Robson and Jessica Silbey (Eds.)

Law and Justice on the Small Screen. Portland, OR: Hart Publishing, 2012. 426 pp. $55.00 (paperback).

ISBN 978-1-8494-6269-3

Reviewed by: Corey Patrick Call, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

DOI: 10.1177/1057567713476884

Law and Justice on the Small Screen is an edited volume that focuses on the role of television

programming within the study of law and culture. While the intersection of law and culture has

been analyzed extensively in regards to the representation of law and the legals ystemon film, the

representation of law and the legal system on television has been lacking. Within the introduction,

the book’s editors, Peter Robson and Jessica Silbey, ponder this lack of scholarship considering

the wide availability of television (furthered even since the advent of DVD and other digital

technology) and the extensive types of programming available. The obj ective of the editors in

compiling this text is to present an overview of the range of approaches to studying the nexus

of law, the legal system, and television as well as a survey of c ontemporary issues in the field. This

is accomplished through a collection of essays by a variety of authors exploring how law and the

legal system is represented on television, as well as how these representations may have affected

our culture.

104 International Criminal Justice Review 23(1)