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 termsState 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 casesCriminalCivil = 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 jailMisdemeanors = 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 convictionSentencingPossible 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