A Judicial Reportor notes that "police have historically viewed their responsibilities as ending when they have made an arrest. Recent research suggests, however, that what police do both before and after an arrest has substantials impact on the likelihood of the arrest resulting in a conviction."
That is an important point; journalists on the crime beat should follow police work through prosecution and sentencing. But by then police are not the only parties determining the outcome of an arrest. Others who can make or break a case include prosecutors, public defenders, privatepractice defence attorneys, judges, law clerks, bail bondspeople, witnesses, jurors, victims and jailers.
Good journalist visit courthouses often to talk to participants, view criminal and civil case filings and observe trials in progress. Those journalists know they will usually find valuable, unduplicable information.
Given the politics imbedded in the judicial system, journalists should expect imperfections. That does not mean journalists should expect to prove judges, prosecutors, clerks and other judicial employees are taking payoffs. It is valuable enough to tell readers and viewers what their official are doing. Reporters can use paper and people trails to question judicial conduct, whether money changed hands or not.
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