“The following stories are real. And how they end could be up to you.”

Those are the opening words of “Was Justice Denied?” And throughout the broadcast, viewers are urged to log on to www.wasjusticedenied.com and express their opinions. Those expressions, the program assures viewers, will be forwarded to authorities and might make a difference.

Hogwash. No appellate court in the country decides a case based on a public opinion poll, much less one so unscientific.

Viewers who are inveigled into logging on to the show’s Web site, however, will find a variety of information, according to the program’s press kit, including “court records, trial transcripts, evidence photos and forensic reports.” At Style’s deadline, we couldn’t find anything on the site except a promotion for the program, and we tried with both Internet Explorer and Netscape. Perhaps there’ll be more info posted by the time the program airs.