How we report police and court records
Our approach to allegations, case status, attribution and corrections.
Sources, updates and questions to follow.
The Salty RagIndependent Gulf Coast Journalism
Identify the source and the stage
Agency releases describe what police allege or report. An arrest or filed charge is not a conviction. We identify the agency, source date and procedural stage, and attribute contested accounts. A press release is not a substitute for the underlying report, affidavit or court docket.
Check developments
When a docket or other reliable record establishes a dismissal, amended charge, plea or disposition, an update should state what changed and when. If we have not verified the current disposition, the article should say so rather than imply the initial allegation remains the final outcome. Source silence is not a response, and an unmade inquiry is not reported as unanswered.
Use only relevant personal details
We avoid unnecessary private contact details and do not identify a minor merely because an agency release makes identification possible. Descriptions of crises focus on the documented response rather than diagnosis or speculation.
Correct the public record
Send a correction or case update with the article link and supporting record. Material corrections should be dated and explained on the article. A shared method page does not replace attribution and necessary qualifications within each story.