MURDER MOST FOUL

Scenario 1:

• 19-year-old junior journalism major Mary Jane came to Professor Paul Poynter’s office.
• She wanted to complain about her grade from last semester.
• Poynter listened to her complaint, walked around behind her, removed his tie, slipped it around her neck and strangled her.

 

Questions:

Was what happened to Jane a murder?

Did Poynter murder her?

 

Scenario 2:

• A police report given to reporter describes what happened as an “incident.”

 

Question:

Is that word sufficient to describe what happened?

 

Scenario 3:

• Because the jury heard evidence that Mary Jane had been harassing Poynter for six weeks and had been sending threatening e-mails to his office and home and left a letter with white powder in it in his mailbox, it found Poynter guilty of manslaughter.

 

Questions:

Was what happened to Jane a murder?

Did Poynter murder her?

 

Scenario 4:

• The jury finds Poynter guilty of second-degree murder.

 

Questions:

Was what happened to Jane a murder?

Did Poynter murder her?

 

Suspect Under Suspicion No. 1

 

• Is suspect used correctly in this cop brief?
• Is there any problem with the identification?

 

A pregnant woman told police she was the victim of threats at about 11 p.m. Saturday in the 800 block of S. Quebec St.

According to a police report, the woman said the suspect approached her and began to verbally assault her.

He then threatened the victim’s and her baby’s lives, telling the victim he was going to “kick the baby out of her stomach.”

The victim then called police, and the suspect fled.

The suspect remains at large and is described as a 34-year-old black man, about 6-foot-2 with tattoos.

 

Suspect Under Suspicion No. 2

 

• Is suspect used correctly in this cop brief?
• Is there any problem with the identification?

 

A man told police he was the victim of a robbery at about 11 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of Wolff St.

According to a police report, the victim was alone then the suspects approached. The suspects then told the victim he’d be seriously hurt if he did not hand over his belongings.

The victim complied, and the suspects fled. The victim then called police, but the suspects remain at large.

They are described as Hispanic men in their 20s.

 

Suspect Under Suspicion No. 3

 

• Is suspect in the headline used correctly in this cop brief?
• Is there any problem with the identification?

 

Suspect in robberies arrested

MARYSVILLE - A 41-year-old Hispanic man was arrested on suspicion of robbing two Marysville banks and stealing thousands of dollars worth of aluminum from an Arlington business.

The suspect, Juan Jones, was taken to the county jail where he is being held pending a bail hearing.

Suspect Under Suspicion No. 4

 

• Is there any problem with the identification in this cop brief?

An armed robber Thursday night held up a Subway restaurant, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

About 9:09 p.m., the gunman entered the Subway in the 6000 block of 26th Street West, across from Manatee Community College.

The robber entered the store, jumped the counter and pointed a gun at two employees. He demanded money and that the employees open the cash register, which they did. He took the money inside.

Deputies responded within a few minutes and arrested a 29-year-old black man whom they did not identify.

DEFINITIONS (Adapted from AP)

 

homicide, murder, manslaughter

·        Homicide is a legal term for slaying or killing.

·        Murder – also a legal term – is malicious, premeditated homicide. Some states define certain homicides as murder if the killing occurs in the course of armed robbery, rape, etc.

·        Manslaughter is homicide without malice or premeditation.

·        A person should not be described as a murderer until convicted of the charge.

·        A killing of another person should not be described as a murder until someone is convicted of the charge.

·        Unless authorities say premeditation was obvious, do not say that a victim was murdered until someone has been convicted in court. Instead, say that a victim was killed or slain.

 

assassin, killer, murderer

·        An assassin is a politically motivated killer.

·        A killer is anyone who kills with a motive of any kind.

·        A murderer is one who is convicted of murder in a court of law.

 

arrest

To avoid any suggestion that someone is being judged before a trial, do not use a phrase such as “arrested for killing.” Instead, use:

• arrested on a charge of killing XXX
• arrested and charged with killing XXX
• arrested in connection with the killing of XXX
• arrested in the killing of XXX.

 

indict

Use indict only in connection with the legal process of bringing charges against an individual or corporation.

·        To avoid any suggestion that someone is being judged before a trial, do not use phrases such as:

o       “indicted for killing”

o       “indicted for bribery”

·        Instead, use “indicted on a charge of killing” or “indicted on a bribery charge.”

 

allege

The word must be used with great care. Some guidelines:

• Avoid any suggestion that the writer is making an allegation.
• Specify the source of an allegation. In a criminal case, it should be an arrest record, an indictment or the statement of a public official connected with the case.
• Use “alleged bribe” or similar phrase when necessary to make it clear that an unproved action is not being treated as fact. Be sure that the source of the charge is specified elsewhere in the story.
• Avoid redundant uses of alleged. It is proper to say: “The district attorney alleged that she took a bribe.” Or: “The district attorney accused her of taking a bribe.” But not: “The district attorney accused her of allegedly taking a bribe.”
• Do not use alleged to describe an event that is known to have occurred, when the dispute is over who participated in it. Do not say: “He attended the alleged meeting” when what you mean is: “He allegedly attended the meeting.”
• Do not use alleged as a routine qualifier. Instead, use a word such as apparent, ostensible or reputed.

 

accused

·        A person is accused of, not with, a crime.

·        To avoid any suggestion that an individual is being judged before a trial, do not use a phrase such as “accused slayer John Jones”; use “John Jones, accused of the slaying.”

 

cop

Be careful in the use of this colloquial term for police officer. It may be used in lighter stories and in casual, informal descriptions, but often is a derogatory term out of place in serious police stories.

 

For more about writing and editing cops and court news, go to this excellent resource:

http://www.justicejournalism.org/crimeguide/toc.html