Covering cops and courts

Reporting Go to the scene or the station in person At the scene, find someone in charge to get the basic info Seek out witnesses Look for details

More reporting At the station, check the daily police log, or blotter If someone has been convicted of a crime, the court record usually is public Get the case file number A person becomes an official suspect after charges are filed in court in a process known as an arraignment

More reporting tips Always get full names Double-check spelling Remember, all people are innocent until proven guilty Don’t say: Shirley M. Jones was arrested for robbing a bank – implies guilt Can say: Shirley M. Jones was arrested in connection with a bank robbery After arraignment and charges are filed: Shirley M. Jones was charged with bank robbery. Use official charges

Alleged Avoid alleged Instead, say the accuser Alleged = danger; avoid Alleged means to declare or assert without proof If you use alleged carelessly, you could be sued for libel

More on alleged Avoid saying: Jones allegedly robbed the bank Instead, write: Police accused Shirley M. Jones of robbing the bank or Police said Jones robbed the bank Accusations are OK as long as they come from the police, not you

More about crime A person is accused of a crime, not with a crime Don’t say: accused bank robber – that convicts the person Instead, say: Jones, accused of bank robbery, … In crime stories, attribute all accusatory info

Guidelines Get full names, ages, addresses and occupations of victims and suspects – or get a police description Get the cause of fatalities or injuries Describe injuries, where the injured were taken for treatment and check with hospitals to get condition

More guidelines Location: Gather info at the scene for a graphic Time: Be specific What happened: Make sure you understand in what order the incident happened Arrests and charges: If arrested, find out where the suspect is incarcerated, when the suspect will be arraigned or the next court procedure Get eyewitness accounts

Techniques Try to imagine yourself in the story – as the victim Your car was in an accident, your home was burglarized or burned, your friend was injured That way, you’ll ask the questions you need to know Don’t put yourself in the story, though. Or play detective. What info is needed to solve the crime?

After the scene At the office, use the telephone to get more info You rarely get everything at the scene

First-day stories Use a hard-news lede Lede the story with fatalities or injuries In car accidents:  Find out the speed, destinations of cars and location at the time of accident  The cause of accidents, arrests, citations and damages  Did the victim war a seat belt or motorcycle helmet?  Weather info – it may have had an affect on accident  Alcohol  Rescue attempts

Burglary vs. robbery Learn the difference between burglaries and robberies Burglary = entry into a building to commit a crime Robbery = stealing with violence or threats Ask what was taken and its value, how entry was made, anything odd, frequency of the crime

Killing Homicide = legal term for killing Murder = premeditated homicide Manslaughter = homicide without premeditation Find out weapon used, get clues and motives from police, specific wounds, official cause of death from coroner or police, circumstances of suspect’s arrest, details from relatives, neighbors, friends, etc.

Fires Know the time the fire started and when firefighters arrived on the scene Know when the fire was brought under control Know the number of fire companies responding and the number of the trucks at the scene Know about evacuations and where people were taken

More on fires Know the injuries and fatalities, including firefighters Know the cause of the fire, where and how it started Who discovered the fire? Extent of damage? Insurance? Describe the building Were smoke detectors present? Get the fire inspection record of the building

Courts Guidelines:  Get reactions, facial expressions and gestures of the defendant, accusers, lawyers and others  Use descriptive detail and color – lively quotes, dramatic testimony  Translate jargon. Eliminate legal terms  State exact charges in the story.

More on courts Give background of the crime Include the name of the court where the trial is. Get comments from defendant, prosecutors, defense attorneys, plaintiffs in a civil suit, relatives and jurors after the trial ends. Include how long jury deliberated Tell readers what the next step is

Court system Two types of cases  Criminal  Civil = lawsuits between two parties Learn the court system At federal level, courts have jurisdiction over cases involving U.S. Constitution or disputes between people from other states

More on court system Federal courts:  U.S. District Court, the lowest court in the system  U.S. Court of Appeals – 12 courts  U.S. Supreme Court, highest court in nation Most states have three levels of courts  Trial  Appeals  State supreme court

More on court system Juvenile court – 18 years or younger Probate courts – for wills and estates Municipal courts – hear violations of city ordinances Before you write, make sure you know what court you’re in

Types of crimes Two types of crimes:  Felonies = serious crimes punishable by more than a year in jail  Misdemeanors = minor offenses

Court process Starts with an arrest. Police must read Miranda rights to suspect Booking: Where suspect is fingerprinted and photographed Police officers meet with county attorney to determine charges Arraignment, usually within two days. Charges are read against the suspect

Court process continued At preliminary hearing, judge hears both sides and decides whether the suspect should go to trial Or, grand jury investigates the case to determine if enough evidence exists to suspect a crime has been committed. Grand jury is secretive

Court process continued Pretrial motions: lawyers file these to try to get the case dropped, moved or suppressed Trial: Jury is selected Use innocent rather than not guilty in a story Unanimous verdicts are required in criminal cases A jury that cannot agree is “hung” and mistrial declared.

Criminal court Once convicted, may refer to defendant as murderer, rapist, etc. After conviction  Sentencing  Possible appeals

Court stories Make sure you explain high in the story who is being accused of what Explain the charges and background Describe the defendants and witnesses Specify the court where the trial took place Tell how long the jury deliberated Tell a good story

More tips Gather plenty of info – to draw a diagram or chronology Write as if you are telling a story to a friend Avoid jargon. Ask questions Double-check everything Don’t convict someone of a crime before the trial. Guilt is for courts to decide

Terms Bail = general term. Use bail Bond = specific way of paying bail Avoid “bust” or “busted” Charged with – use it when giving the formal, legal charge (sexual battery) Accused of – use this with ordinary English to describe the crime (rape)

More terms Cops – avoid Damages = Money a court awards Deputies, police and troopers – not interchangeable  Use police with law enforcement officers of municipalities  Deputies are members of the county sheriff’s office  Troopers are from the State Patrol