CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. CRIME STORIES RECORDS If you have the police beat, you should check the daily police log. The log is public record and should be

Crime

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Crime stories

RECORDS

If you have the police beat, you should check the daily police log. The log is public record and should be available to the press and anyone else.

PREVIOUS CRIMINAL RECORDS

Check to see if a suspect has a previous criminal record in the court jurisdiction where the person was convicted – unless the record is sealed by order of a judge.

UNIVERSITY RECORDS

Federal law requires all colleges and universities that have federal student financial aid programs to publish an annual report listing of three years crime statistics.

http://www.temple.edu/safety/reports/main_campus.asp

http://www.rosemont.edu/Public-Safety/annual-security-and-fire-report/index.aspx

Crime stories

RECORDS OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS

All states have laws restricting the release of records that identify juvenile offenders, people under age 18. The names are withheld, but a judge may authorize their release.

USE OF NAMES

Many TV stations and newspapers also withhold the names of suspects in crime stories until they have been formally charged with a crime. Being arrested means only that someone has been stopped for questioning in a crime.

PERSON OF INTEREST

In recent years, police have begun releasing the name of a suspect as a person of interest before actual charges are filed.

Do not rely on police reports for names – many names are spelled incorrectly.

Crime stories

WORDING OF ACCUSATIONS

Remember that all people are innocent until proven guilty. If you are writing about an arrest before the official charge, do not say “Tom Jones was arrested for robbing the bank.” Do say, “Tom Jones was arrested in connection with the bank robbery.”

ALLEGED

The word alleged is dangerous, so avoid it whenever possible. It means to declare or assert without proof. If you “allege” carelessly, you could be sued.

Crime stories

ATTRIBUTION

In crime stories, make sure that you attribute all accusatory information and much of the information you received secondhand (not by direct observation).

GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING CRIME STORIESVictims – Get full names, addresses, etc.

Suspects – Get full names, addresses, etc. Ask for a description. Check your organization’s style about whether to include race or ethnic background.

Cause of fatalities or injuries – Where people have been taken.

Location of the incident

Time of the incident

What happened – Make sure that you understand the sequence of events

Arrests and charges filed – If people have been arrested, find out where they are being held, when they will be arraigned ( a hearing on formal charges) or when the next court procedure will be. If they have been arraigned, find out what bail was set at.

GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING CRIME STORIESEyewitness accounts – Comments from neighbors may also be relevant.

Be careful about using accusations against named individuals.

Use these tips:

Role-play – What would you want to know if you were personally affected by the story?

Play detective – What would you need to solve the crime?

Gather graphics – What information would you need to diagram the car accident, draw the crime scene, write the chronology in a box or design a chart or graphic depicting how and where the crime occurred.

Use the phone – Usually you’ll get the information from the dispatcher or PIO who was not at the scene and issued a report. Make sure you ask police to repeat information. Get the officer’s full name and rank.

Specific types of crime stories

Motor vehicle accidents

Burglaries and robberies – burglary involves entry into a building with intent to commit any type of crime; robbery involves stealing with violence or a threat against people.

Homicides – The legal term for killing. Murder is the term for premeditated homicide.

Broadcast example

A man is left dead after a traffic accident at Mile 66 of the Glenn Highway yesterday.

Alaska State Troopers say 50-year-old Spencer Ricketts of Anchorage was northbound on his Harley Davidson motorcycle when he crossed the double yellow line and struck a Winnebago.

Ricketts was evacuated by helicopter to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver of the Winnebago, 61-year-old Robert Nastri of Arizona and his wife, who was a passenger, were not injured.

Ricketts’ next of kin has been notified.

Troopers are still investigating the crash.

Court stories

Court cases are full of drama. They are the stuff of television series and movies.

Yet print and online stories about them are often dull.

Court storiesEven if you use a hard news approach to report a conviction or testimony, you can still use storytelling techniques of dialogue, description and narrative writing for portions of the story so the

reader can experience the human drama that filled the courtroom.

Court stories• Get reactions, facial expressions and gestures of the defendant and the accusers, attorneys, relatives and other people affected

by the case, especially in trial stories and verdict stories.

• Use descriptive detail and color – lively quotes, dramatic testimony and dialogue.

• Translate all jargon, and avoid legal terminology.

Court stories

• State exact charges in the story

• Give the background of the crime, no matter how many stories have been published about this case.

•Include the name of the court where the trial is being held.

Court stories

• Get comments from defendants, prosecutors, defense attorneys, plaintiffs (the people who brought suit or filed charges), relatives

and jurors in all verdict stories.

• In verdict stories, include how long the jury deliberated. Also include how many jurors were on the case; not all cases have 12-

member juries.

Court stories

• Write the next step – the next court appearance or, in verdict stories, plan for an appeal if the defendant is found guilty.

Federal courts and state courtsThe court system functions on two levels: a federal level and a

state level.

U.S. District Court – This is the lowest level of the federal judicial system, where most cases involving federal issues are heard.

Federal courts and state courts

U.S. Court of Appeals – There are 12 of these courts for geographical areas, plus the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District

of Columbia. It is the intermediary court, where cases from the federal district courts are appealed.

Federal courts and state courts

U.S. Supreme Court – This is the highest court in the nation. Cases may be appealed to this court, but the justices do not have to rule

on all the cases.

Federal courts and state courtsMost states also have three levels of courts: a trial court, an

appeals court and a state supreme court for appeals of the last resort on the state level.

Cases from the state's highest court may be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court if there is a federal angle, such as a constitutional

matter – A First Amendment, for example – or a civil rights violation.

Criminal Court ProcessCrimes are classified as misdemeanors or felonies. Misdemeanors are considered minor offenses that carry a potential penalty of up

to a year in jail and/or a fine.

Felonies are more serious crimes punishable by more than a year in prison.

Terms used in court reporting • Acquittal – Finding by court or jury that a person accused of a crime is not guilty.

• Adjudicate – To make a final determination or judgement by the court.

• Affidavit – Sworn statement of facts.

• Appeal – Plea to ask a higher court to review a judgement, verdict or order of a lower court.

• Appellant – Person who files an appeal.

• Arraignment – Court hearing in which a defendant in a criminal case is formally charged with the crime and given the chance to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest.

• Bail – Amount of money set by the court that the defendant must guarantee to pay if he does not show up for a court trial.

Terms used in court reporting

• Bond – Written promise to pay bail money on the conditions stated. The bond for bail is usually 10 percent of the total amount of bail set.

• Brief – Legal document filed with the court by a lawyer, stating the facts of the case and arguments citing how laws apply to the case.

• Change of venue – Procedure to seek a change of location of trial. (Impedes fair trial)


• Charge – Official allegation of criminal wrongdoing.

• Civil suit – Lawsuit to determine rights, duties, claims for damages, ownership or other settlements in noncriminal matters.

• Complaint – Formal affidavit in which one person accuses another of violating the law.


• Condemnation – Civil action to acquire ownership of property for public use. When a municipality wants to build a road or sidewalk, the government will condemn the property to gain right of way.

• Contempt – Action that disregards the order of authority of the court.

• Defendant – In a civil case, the person being sued. Criminal – person breaking the law.


• Deposition – Written statement of testimony from a witness under oath.

• Discovery – Pretrial examination of a person, documents or other items to find evidence that may be used in the trial.

• Dismissal – Order to drop the case.

• Docket – List of cases pending before the court.


• Deposition – Written statement of testimony from a witness under oath.

• Discovery – Pretrial examination of a person, documents or other items to find evidence that may be used in the trial.

• Dismissal – Order to drop the case.

• Docket – List of cases pending before the court.


• Extradition – Procedure to move a person accused of a crime from the state where he is residing to the state where the crime occurred and where the trial will be conducted.

• Felony – Major crime punishable by a sentence of a year or more.


• Grand jury – Group of citizens selected by the court to investigate whether there is enough evidence or probable cause that a crime occurred.

• Hung jury – Jury that cannot reach a unanimous verdict.

• Indictment – Recommendation by the GJ that there's enough probable cause to charge person/group with the crime under investigatio


• Injunction – Order by the court instructing a person, group or company to stop the action that was occurring, such as picketing.

• Innocent – The term “not guilty” is preferable in court cases.

• Misdemeanor – Crime less serious than a felony.


• Mistrial – Trial set aside or declared invalid because of some mistake in proceedings, or in a criminal trial, because the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict.

• Motion – Request for the court to make a ruling or finding.

No contest – Same affect as guilty plea, but no admission of guilt.

• Plaintiff – Person who sues in a civil case.


• Plea – Defendant's response to a charge, stating that he is guilty/not guilty.

• Plea bargain – Agreement between the prosecutor and the defendant (or defense attorney) to accept a lesser charge and a lesser sentence in return for a guilty or no contest plea.

• Probable cause – Determination that there is enough evidence to prosecute a criminal case.


• Probation – Condition in which the person is release from jail if he meets certain terms.

• Recognizance – A person may be released from jail based on his own recognizance – meaning the recognition of a previously good reputation.

• Subpoena – Court order commanding a person to appear in court or to release documents to the court.


• Summary judgement – Procedure in a civil suit asking the court to give final judgement on the grounds that there are no further questions and no need for trial.

• Summons – Document notifying a defendant that a lawsuit or complaint has been filed against him.

• Suspended sentence – Court order stating that the punishment of the defendant will be suspended if certain conditions are met.


• Temporary injunction – Court order to stop an action, such as a protest, for a specific amount of time until a court hearing

• Tort – Civil cases involving damages, pain, suffering or wrongdoing

• True bill – Indictment used by a GJ.

• Verdict – Decision by jury


• Warrant – Court order directing law enforcement officials to arrest a person. A search warrant gives officials authority to search a premise.


• Explain charges and background.

• Describe defendants and witnesses

• Specify the court where the proceedings take place.

• Tell how long the jury deliberated in verdict stories.

• Tell a good story.

Court story reminders

Court can be funny!He admits guilt, then is acquitted.

You're the defendant. You make the call:

You're Marvin E. Johnson, 40, convicted three times of drug possession.

You're facing a minimum 15 years in prison without parole if convicted of being a felon in possession of handgun.

On Wednesday, the jury at your federal trial in Kansas City deliberates three hours without reaching a verdict. On Thursday, the jury deliberates three more hours and announces it is hopelessly deadlocked. A hung jury and a new trial loom on the horizon.

The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Larsen, offers a deal.

Court can be funny!If you plead guilty, he'll reduce the government's sentencing request to a range of 15 to 22 months.

While you ponder the deal, the jury buzzes. It has a verdict.

Do you:

A) Sign the plea agreement and serve at least 15 months in prison? Or

B) Roll the dice with the jury's verdict? If it's guilty, you get at least 15 years; if it's not guilty, you walk away.

On Thursday afternoon, Marvin E. Johnson signed the plea agreement.

Five minutes later, the jury found him not guilty.

“I'm sure glad I struck that plea agreement,” Larsen said.

“I can't win for losing,” said Johnson's defense lawyer, John P. O'Connor.

Documents

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. CRIME STORIES RECORDS If you have the police beat, you should check the daily police log. The log is public record and should be