Covering a trial
I'm not addicted to the TV show Law & Order like many of my friends are. I know people who can watch six or seven episodes in one sitting. The investigations are great and the court room action is exciting.
Yesterday, at the Dallas County court house, I covered the sentence of Reginald Newton, who was found guilty of assaulting six women in a one-night crime spree last December.
Trials aren't as glamorous as they are portrayed in Law & Order. Watching the women who said they were victimized by Mr. Newton tell him how their lives were ruined by his actions was hard to watch. One woman said that there was a place in hell for him. Another woman said she was still in physical pain from when he assaulted her last Dec. 6. One woman said she is now scared of the dark. But all of those who spoke said they were stronger now, and that Mr. Newton couldn't hurt them anymore.
The women cried and held hands as the sentence of life in prison was read. It was also hard to watch the face of Mr. Newton's father, O.C. Newton Jr. His dad said he tried hard to put his son down the right track when Reginald was younger. But most attempts failed.
Mr. Newton's father apologized to the victims as they left the courtroom. The women told him that it wasn't his fault, and that his son must take responsibility for his actions. As the victims and the father filed out of the room Thursday evening, a prosecutor turned to me and said one word: "Wow."
Comments
nicely done
Posted by: Susan | June 29, 2007 11:01 AM
Very mature and respectful. Good job.
Posted by: Gail Roberts | June 29, 2007 11:55 AM
You did a great job on this. Oddly enough, as reported by Matthew Haag: "it was hard to watch." As reported by Frontburner: "intern Matthew Haag was delighted that a local man brutalized several women with a horrific nine inch knife."
Posted by: Michael Mooney | June 30, 2007 12:49 AM