Cops & Courts Com 359 Public Affairs Reporting Fall 2003 Purdue University

The Nature of the Job Weird hours Crime doesn’t follow a 9-5 schedule Learning to monitor the scanner, follow fire trucks and police cars 24-7 Extensive time with police Balancing loyalty to public with loyalty to officers Hard thing to remember: You are not, and never will be (as long as you are a reporter), a cop Not for the squeamish First-hand newsgathering from crime scenes

The Nature of the Job Unhappy, mad, sad people Having to deal with families  Both of victims and of the accused  Two sides (and two lawyers) to every story Constant threat of being sued Uncooperative sources Police officers aren’t official sources Only higher-ups are generally allowed to be quoted on the record Need to answer “what’s next?” question

Covering Law Enforcement A person can be in custody and detained for questioning, without being “arrested” A person becomes an official suspect only after charges are filed in a court Police cannot charge anyone with a crime They can only: arrest a person on charges of committing a crime, or detain a person for questioning in connection with a crime.

Covering Law Enforcement When a person is first arrested… Don’t write, “Susan Brockus was arrested for robbing the bank.”  That implies guilt Do write, “Susan Brockus was arrested in connection with the bank robbery,” or “Susan Brockus was taken into custody for questioning about the bank robbery.”

Covering Law Enforcement After charges are filed in a court of law… You may write, “Susan Brockus was charged with bank robbery” or “Susan Brockus was arrested on a charge of bank robbery” Use the official charges – when possible Charge wording may be awkward or confusing (e.g., possession of an instrument of crime) Don’t use in lead Rephrase, explain in the backup to the story

Covering Law Enforcement A person is accused of, not with, a crime AP style! Don’t write, “accused robber Susan Brockus.” Write, “Susan Brockus, accused of bank robbery, will make her first court appearance Monday.” Attribute all accusatory information Factual information does not need attribution. If someone has been charged with a crime, you can state that as a fact.

Covering Law Enforcement Avoid the word “alleged” whenever possible “Brockus allegedly robbed the bank,” means you, the writer, are the source of the allegation Instead, say “Police accused Brockus of robbing the bank” or “Police said Brockus robbed the bank.” Remember police rarely allege; they accuse So don’t say “Police accused Brockus of allegedly robbing the bank.” Reserve “alleged” when the crime itself is in question “The rape is alleged to have occurred just after midnight.”

Covering Law Enforcement A person can be arrested on charges of murder… but is not a murderer until convicted of that crime Don’t say someone was murdered until authorities have determined that the victim was murdered Murder is a premeditated act of killing Say the person was slain or killed

Covering Law Enforcement Research Has the person been arrested before? A familiar place to start: Tippecanoe CountyTippecanoe County Look for side stories and future stories. Is there a trend?  Is this the fourth bank robbery at this particular location in the last two years?  Are bank robberies on the rise in your city?

Covering the Courts Translate all jargon As with all beats, make sure terminology makes sense to the public. Use common words for Latin terms, or define themdefine them  Nolo contendere, nunc pro tunc, writ of habeas corpus State exact charges in the story Give the background of the crime – no matter how many stories have been published about the case Include the name of the court where the trial or hearing is being held, as well as the name of the presiding judge

Covering Criminal Courts Get reactions Facial expressions and gestures of the defendant and the accusers, attorneys, relatives and other people affected by the case can be significant especially in trial stories and verdict stories Use descriptive detail and color Lively quotes, dramatic testimony and dialogue make for better stories Get comments If possible – from defendants, prosecutors, defense attorneys, relatives and plaintiffs (in a civil case, the people who brought suit or filed charges), and jurors in all verdict stories

Covering Criminal Courts In verdict stories, include how long the jury deliberated. In some cases, the amount of time the jury deliberated may be a major factor Also include how many jurors were on the case Not all cases have 12-member juries, the most common number Get it right in sentencing stories Concurrently (at the same time) vs. consecutively (one right after the other) Ask the prosecutor how many years the person will actually be expected to serve in prison before his or her first possible release date It matters to families and friends on both sides

Covering Criminal Courts Write the next step What/when is the next court appearance? Or, in verdict stories, are there plans for an appeal if the defendant is found guilty?