It’s been some years since I went to a magistrates court to report on a case – but last week that’s just what I did on the Isle of Wight.
My client was interested to know how a former member of staff would be dealt with after earlier being convicted of assault on a baby. They wanted me to look at it from a journalist’s viewpoint and write up the story as if for a newspaper report. I’d forgotten how slow court proceedings are. The case was moved from 10.30 to 2.15 – the magistrates arrived back from lunch at 2.30. I was shocked that despite a very modern court room the acoustics were so bad. I can’t tell you the outcome as I don’t want to give away anything which might identify my client.
The task confirmed what I suspected – for an experienced journalist the skills don’t fade – and unlike for newspapers where reporters usually have a little more time, I was used to walking out of the court and phoning a ‘voicer’ into the newsroom more or less straight away. It was fun.
The bottom line is if you have a similar need get in touch – for court or any event coverage from a journalist and an immediate write up / voicer.
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