A person may have been arrested recently. To avoid embarrassing anyone, the name of the person, age, sex, place of arrest, charge, and any other identifying information will not be published. Nor will the place of detention be revealed. This is not reporting the news! The reports of police activity in Cedar Key News serves the community in several ways. The reports indicate that the police are on the job enforcing the law. In past years there was no one on duty after midnight. The reports clarify what charges have been made, at times contrary to rumor. The reports can be the basis of citizen oversight. Formal complaints can be made when unjustified police action occurs.
In some parts of the world an arrested person must prove his or her innocence. Not here. In the United States the prosecution must prove its case. In some places people are arrested, but not charged, or ever seen again. A good newspaper reports arrests, charges, and place of detention. That helps avoid phony charges, secret trials and disappearing prisoners. | 