Court story checklist for accurate case coverage

What to take away

• Verify case identity and the operative filing.
• Attribute allegations and party arguments every time status could blur.
• Distinguish a request, ruling, verdict, judgment, and appeal.
• Confirm the scope, effective date, and stay status of relief.
• Review privacy, local access rules, and late docket entries.

Run this checklist after reporting and before publication. It is designed to catch status errors, not to replace legal review when a story raises specialized questions. It condenses the stages explained in the court reporting guide.

Case identity

• Full court and division are correct.
• Caption and case number match the source document.
• Judge, panel, or magistrate role is accurate.
• Parties are identified by their role at this stage.
• Related trial and appellate cases are not conflated.
• Filing and docket entry dates are recorded.

Jurisdiction and rules

• The story explains why this court is hearing the matter when relevant.
• Federal, state, local, tribal, and administrative processes are not mixed.
• Local rules and standing orders were checked for access and devices.
• Legal terms are translated without changing meaning.

The federal judiciary's media-basics page says courts have local practices, judges generally speak through proceedings and written decisions in active cases, and device rules can differ by court and judge. The federal court media guidance supports checking the specific court rather than assuming one national access routine.

Allegations and response

• A complaint, charge, affidavit, or brief is attributed to its author.
• The headline does not present an allegation as a finding.
• Plea and custody status are correct.
• Defense or opposing-party response was sought.
• A lack of response is described accurately.
• Prior accusations are included only when relevant and fair.

Allegation handling matches the evidence states in the guide to developing news stories: attributed until independently established.

Docket and document status

• The operative pleading was identified.
• Amendments, corrections, and withdrawals were checked.
• Sealed entries are described without guessing their contents.
• Exhibits are linked to the filing that introduced them.
• The docket was checked again before publication.

The habit of a final docket pass comes from the method for reading a docket and ruling, which treats the last check as part of the story.

Hearing coverage

• Each speaker is identified in notes.
• Questions are not reported as rulings.
• Arguments are separated from testimony and evidence.
• Exact quotations were checked against notes or transcript.
• The written order was obtained or its pending status stated.

Criminal-case language

• Charged, arrested, detained, indicted, convicted, and sentenced are used for the right stage.
• Not-guilty and dismissal are not described as factual innocence findings unless the record says so.
• The burden and decision-maker at the reported stage are clear.
• Victim, witness, minor, and juror privacy receives a separate review.

The U.S. Courts criminal-case guide describes investigations, complaints, indictments, pretrial proceedings, pleas, and access limits, and says most federal criminal cases conclude before trial, often through guilty pleas. The federal criminal-case reporting guide supports identifying the precise stage rather than implying that every charge reaches a trial.

When counts, pleas, and stages blur, the court documents comparison restores the distinctions one row at a time.

Ruling and remedy

• The legal question and standard are stated.
• Holding and broader commentary are distinguished.
• The disposition matches the operative text.
• Partial grants and denials are broken out.
• Relief names who must do what and when.
• Stay, appeal, rehearing, and remand status were checked.

Headline and final status line

• The headline names a filing as a claim or request where needed.
• "Court rules" is used only for a court decision.
• "Final" is supported by the procedural record.
• The story says what happens next.
• The status line has an as-of time for a fast case.

Common questions

Should a court story name the judge in the headline?

Only when identity matters to the news and the wording does not turn an individual judge into shorthand for a full panel or court.

Can a clerk explain what a ruling means?

Court staff can often help with process and access, but they may not interpret a decision. Read the order and consult qualified sources when needed.

Is sealed the same as secret forever?

No. Sealing can be partial or temporary and may later be reviewed. Report the present access status and any public sealing order.

When is legal review appropriate?

Consider it for high-risk allegations, privacy issues, reporting restrictions, sealed material, defamation concerns, or uncertainty about what may lawfully be published.