READ IT
DOES ANY PART HAVE MORE THAN ONE POSSIBLE MEANING?
IF SO, RE-WRITE
EXAMPLES OF TWO POSSIBLE MEANINGS
SMITH WAS UNABLE TO SATISFACTORILY PERFORM THE FIELD SOBRIETY TEST. SGT. DECKER ARRIVED AND ANOTHER TEST WAS GIVEN. HIS PERFORMANCE WAS THE SAME.
OFFICER BERG WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE INJECTION MARKS, SEE HIS NARCOTIC EVALUATION REPORT, UNDER MAGNIFICATION AND LIGHT.
WHILE THEY WERE TRYING THEM ON ONE PAIR OF THEIR OLD SHOES CAME UP MISSING, HOWEVER, LOITERING IN THE SHOE DEPARTMENT FOR A LENGTHY TIME PERIOD THE OLD PAIR OF SHOES WAS RETURNED TO THE SUSPECT�S FEET.
ONE POSSIBLE CURE FOR TWO POSSIBLE MEANINGS
BREAK THE LONG SENTENCE DOWN INTO TWO OR MORE SHORT SENTENCES.
�CURE� EXAMPLE
SMITH FAILED THE FIRST FIELD SOBRIETY TEST. SGT. DECKER ARRIVED. I GAVE SMITH ANOTHER TEST. HE FAILED AGAIN.
ANOTHER �CURE� EXAMPLE
OFFICER BERG FOUND THE INJECTION MARKS UNDER MAGNIFICATION AND LIGHT. SEE HIS NARCOTIC EVALUATION REPORT.
ANOTHER �CURE�
WHILE THE SUSPECTS WERE TRYING ON NEW SHOES, ONE PAIR DISAPPEARED. THE SUSPECTS LOITERED IN THE SHOE DEPARTMENT FOR AWHILE. LATER, THE MANAGER SAW THE SUSPECT HAD HIS OLD SHOES ON AGAIN.
ANOTHER KIND OF �TWO POSSIBLE MEANINGS� PROBLEM
FLORES ADVISED THAT ORTIZ BEGAN DEMANDING TO SEE HIS DAUGHTER AND HE BEGAN DENYING HIM THAT PRIVILEGE. HE THEN BEGAN STATING THAT HE HAD FIRED A SHOT AT HIM.
CURE: USE NAMES WHEN PRONOUNS ARE CONFUSING
FLORES SAID ORTIZ DEMANDED TO SEE FLORES� DAUGHTER. FLORES WOULDN�T LET HIM. FLORES SAID ORTIZ THEN FIRED A SHOT AT HIM.
PAINTING AN ACCURATE PICTURE
SET THINGS DOWN IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY OCCURRED
WRITE IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
MAKE SURE THE READER KNOWS YOUR SOURCES OF INFORMATION
REGARDING SOURCES OF INFORMATION...
"A THIRD PASSENGER MANAGED TO CRAWL OUT OF THE OVERTURNED CAR."
WHAT�S THE SOURCE OF THIS INFORMATION?
"I SAW A THIRD PASSENGER..."
YOUR BEST NOTES OF WHAT HAPPENED
YOU�RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEPEND ON YOUR REPORT
TOO MANY �I DON�T KNOW� ANSWERS HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE JURY
YOU CAN�T LIVE WITH YOUR REPORT IF...
YOU SAY THE WRONG THINGS (VAGUE, CONCLUSIONARY GOBBLEDYGOOK)
YOU FAIL TO SAY THE RIGHT THINGS (SOURCES OF INFORMATION)
LIVING WITH YOUR REPORT
UNDERSIGNED DETECTIVE RECEIVED INFORMATION TO THE EFFECT THAT A SUBJECT BY THE NAME OF J.L. BELT RESIDED AT THE RESIDENCE OF 939 EAST 17TH STREET ON FEBRUARY 6, 1998.
WHO IS �UNDERSIGNED?�
�RECEIVED INFORMATION� HOW?
MALE OR FEMALE �SUBJECT?�
WHAT KIND OF �RESIDENCE�?
ON FEBRUARY 6, 1998, DETECTIVE JOINER TOLD ME A WOMAN NAMED J.L. BELT LIVED IN THE DUPLEX AT 939 EAST 17TH STREET.
QUOTATION MARKS
DIRECTLY QUOTE WHEN (3 MOST IMPORTANT):
CRIMINAL�S EMBARRASSING LANGUAGE
ADMISSIONS, CONFESSIONS
THE WORDS HELP PROVE THE CRIME
VAGUE VERBS
ACCOSTED, ASSAULTED, ATTACKED, CONFRONTED, MOLESTED, ANNOYED, RAPED, INTIMIDATED, FORCED, COERCED, THREATENED, PERSUADED, INDUCED
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHAT ANOTHER DID OR THOUGHT
WRITE (AND TESTIFY) WHAT YOU KNOW ONLY
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU THOUGHT
GIVE DETAILS OF WHAT YOU SAW AND DID LEADING UP TO ANY PROFESSIONAL CONCLUSION
DO NOT CONCLUDE WITHOUT SUPPORTING FACTS FIRST
WORDS TO NEVER WRITE IN REPORTS (WHEN OTHER WORDS ARE) BETTER
LISTS ON PGS. 135-136
YES, YOU CAN USE �SAW,� BUT NOT IF SOMEONE ELSE SAW IT AND THAT�S NOT CLEAR
OTHER WAYS TO MAKE REPORTS BETTER
LEAVE OUT �ON ABOVE DATE AND TIME, UNDERSIGNED OFFICER RESPONDED TO��
WRITE �JONES SAID�� ONCE PER PARAGRAPH
DON�T WRITE LONG SENTENCES OR PARAGRAPHS
REPORT THINGS IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY OCCURRED TO YOU
LEAVE OUT EVERY �IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT��
DON�T WRITE �TWO (2)�
LEAVE OUT EVERY �DESCRIBED AS��
THE LENGTH OF YOUR REPORT SHOULD BE DETERMINED BY HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TO SAY