Welcome to Tucson Sisters in Crime!

Saturday, November 21, 2026

The Forensic Rules TV & Film Love to Break (And Why Writers Need To Do It!)
by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

This workshop will discuss ten forensic rules media loves to break, and the real forensic facts behind them.

Crime Entertainment is here to stay. From cop procedurals to British mysteries to true crime, this popular, evergreen genre is widespread across the entertainment landscape all over the world.

We are so steeped in crime and forensics, many of us fancy ourselves savvy armchair detectives. But how much of what we see on TV happens in the field?  If you’ve found yourself wondering if coroners really eat sandwiches while doing autopsies, or if detectives wear suits or high heels to the scene of a crime, the answer is… maybe.  

As the daughter of a medical examiner whose office was our home, I grew up around death investigation long before I ever imagined writing crime fiction. Later, I was trained in forensic science and gained a holistic understanding of how cases are investigated and how they unfold in real time: slowly, methodically, often without neat conclusions or cinematic flourish.

Sometimes I cringe a little when I see the forensic faux pas being made for entertainment’s sake. But as an author and screenwriter writer, I have come to realize there are good reasons behind breaking the rules. 

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush works as a screenwriter, author, speaker, and forensic specialist. She has developed film and TV projects, authored numerous books, and frequently speaks around the world on crime fiction and forensics.