Get the filing, not the recap

What does a crime and courts reporter cover?

A crime and courts reporter covers arrests, charges, trials, sentencing and appeals, plus the police agencies, prosecutors and courts that handle them. The beat also covers crime trends and the laws behind each case.

Work from the charging document, the docket and the ruling. An arrest is not a conviction, and a charge is an allegation until a court decides it.

Start here

Court records and opinions

Confirm the court, case number and procedural posture before you describe a ruling.

• PACER Case Locator: Nationwide party and case index for federal courts. Requires a PACER account.
• Supreme Court opinions (LII): Current and past Supreme Court decisions from Cornell's Legal Information Institute.
• Historic Supreme Court decisions by topic (LII): Landmark decisions grouped by subject. Useful for background on a legal issue.
• LII Supreme Court bulletins: Email bulletins for tracking new Supreme Court decisions.
• State court opinions (LII): Links to appellate opinions for each state court system.
• United States Tax Court: Official site for Tax Court opinions, dockets and rules.

Statutes and regulations

• U.S. Code (House): Official text of federal statutes, maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
• U.S. Code (LII): Browsable U.S. Code by title and section from Cornell.
• Code of Federal Regulations (LII): Federal regulations by title. Check the effective date of the rule you cite.
• State law resources (LII): Links to statutes, constitutions and court rules for each state.
• Wex legal dictionary (LII): Plain-language definitions of legal terms and doctrines.

Crime data and federal justice agencies

Note which agency collected the number, how it defines the offense and what year it covers.

• Bureau of Justice Statistics: Federal statistics on crime victims, offenders, courts, jails and prisons.
• National Archive of Criminal Justice Data: Criminal justice datasets hosted by ICPSR at the University of Michigan.
• National Institute of Justice: Justice Department research and evaluation arm. Funded studies on policing, forensics and corrections.
• Bureau of Justice Assistance: Justice Department grants and programs for state and local criminal justice agencies.
• Office for Victims of Crime: Federal victim assistance programs and funding.
• FBI: Press releases, wanted notices and investigative priorities from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
• FBI Vault: Electronic reading room for FBI records released under FOIA.
• National Center for Juvenile Justice: Research and data on juvenile courts and youth justice.

Missing persons and law enforcement contacts

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: National clearinghouse on missing and exploited children, with case posters and data.
• The Doe Network: Volunteer-run database of missing persons and unidentified remains. Confirm each case with the investigating agency.
• State Patrol and State Police directory: Privately run directory of state police agencies. Confirm contact details on the agency's own site.

Advocacy and policy groups

These groups hold positions on crime, punishment and guns. Quote them as interested parties and check their figures against primary data.

• The Sentencing Project (Advocacy): Research and advocacy for sentencing and prison reform.
• Criminal Justice Legal Foundation (Advocacy): Legal advocacy for crime victims and against early release.
• Death Penalty Information Center: Nonprofit that publishes execution data and analysis of capital punishment. Check figures against state corrections records.
• Southern Poverty Law Center (Advocacy): Civil rights litigation and tracking of extremist groups.
• Violence Policy Center (Advocacy): Research and advocacy aimed at reducing gun death and injury.
• National Rifle Association (Advocacy): Gun rights organization. Legislative positions and training programs.
• Second Amendment Foundation (Advocacy): Gun rights litigation and education.

Finding lawyers and legal background

• FindLaw: Consumer legal explainers and a lawyer directory. Confirm bar status with the state bar before you describe someone as a lawyer.

Reporting checks for this beat

• Do you have the charging document, the docket and the ruling, not just the police release?
• Is the person charged, indicted, convicted or sentenced? Use the right word for the stage.
• Which agency produced the crime statistic, how does it define the offense and what period does it cover?
• Are you comparing a single year with a long-term trend, or a raw count with a rate?
• Have you asked the defense, the prosecution and the court for the record you are describing?
• Does naming a victim, juvenile or witness serve the story enough to justify the harm?

Links were checked in September 2026 for a live page from the same organization. Advocacy groups, trade groups and party sites are labeled and should be treated as interested parties. Verify ownership, date and context before publication.