Book Review: Covering America’s Courts: A Clash of Rights, by Toni Locy

Abstract

Toni Locy Covering America's Courts: A Clash of Rights. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2013. 224 pp.It is rare to encounter a book that appears to be a nearly flawless fit for teaching a particular class. Indeed, for many classes, professors have a wide variety of similar texts to choose from based on their particular teaching style, specific content they want to highlight, or an author's strong writing. Toni Locy's new textbook, however, comes as close as possible to being the perfect text for a course on legal reporting. It is hard to imagine a better-written or more thorough book for those interested in teaching courses on covering U.S. courts. It is truly an exceptional text, full of excellent, practi- cal, hands-on advice on everything from how to develop and protect sources to the best way to respond to unsympathetic judges, unwelcomed subpoenas, courtroom clo- sures, and surly court security officers.The textbook is divided into four sections, which include three chapters each. The first section explores the U.S. court system and offers a brief examination of the law. The second section, one of the strongest sections of the textbook, explains legal docu- ments and where to find them-it contains incredibly helpful reproductions of sample documents. The third section offers an extremely rich and detailed examination of criminal and civil trials. The final section covers court closures, gag orders, terrorism trials, and the U.S. Supreme Court.Locy takes a practical approach, using entertaining anecdotes collected over decades of reporting to provide readers a near step-by-step process for covering state and federal cases, both criminal and civil. Locy's stories entertain, inspire, and bring her lessons to life. While many readers may think of Locy primarily for her infamous involvement with the 2001 FBI anthrax investigation when she landed in jail for refus- ing to identify her sources, this is but one story discussed in the book. While the epi- sode is informative and covered in detail, it is simply one of many used to explain a point Locy is trying to make. Locy shares many interesting stories from her time at the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and USA Today that will engage students and help them understand legal processes and terms.The textbook has many highlights, a few of which particularly stand out. Chapter three-police investigations-and Chapter four-court records-are perhaps the fin- est in the book. Each contains helpful hints illustrated by her stories, as well as sample documents and directions on how to obtain these documents. Locy clearly explains how to find information, tells her readers what to look for to understand court docu- ments, and explains how to communicate legal information in informative and inter- esting ways. Locy also warns novice reporters to not get caught up in the hype of ongoing investigations and cautions them on the dangers of becoming a pawn of law enforcement, prosecutors, or defense attorneys. …