These are the rules every story on Massachusetts Legal Resources follows. They apply to news, explainers, case briefs and guides.
Sourcing
- Primary sources first. We rely on court filings, dockets, decisions, official statements and public records wherever they exist, and we link to them.
- The law, read at the source. Statutes are read on the Massachusetts Legislature’s website, federal rules and statutes at official or recognized legal sources, and decisions in the court’s own text. Each story names where we read them.
- Citations checked. Case citations in our reporting are checked against a public case law database before publication. If we cannot confirm a citation, we cite the case by docket number or leave it out.
- Other news organizations. When we rely on another outlet’s reporting, we name it. An allegation against a named person needs an official record or at least two news organizations. A fact only one outlet has reported is attributed to that outlet.
- Social media. Posts on social media are treated as tips, not facts, until they are confirmed.
- Quotations. Quotation marks are used only for words a person actually said or wrote, as recorded in a document or reported by a news organization we name. Paraphrases are not put in quotation marks.
Fairness
- A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent, and our stories say so. A charge is not a conviction, and we do not describe it as one.
- We report what each side argues in court, not only the prosecution’s case.
- We note when a person or their lawyer could not be reached or has not commented.
Privacy
- We do not name minors who are accused of crimes or who are victims. Where a court or prosecutor uses initials, so do we.
- We do not name the children or relatives of victims, or private people who are not accused of anything, even when other outlets do.
Updates and corrections
- When a story develops after publication, we add a dated update rather than silently rewriting it.
- When we make an error of fact, we correct it and note the correction in the story.
- To report an error, write to contact@masslegalresources.com. Correction requests are reviewed against the original source.
Headlines
A headline must be literally true and supported by the story beneath it.
Independence and advertising
Massachusetts Legal Resources is supported by advertising. Advertisers have no role in what we cover or how. We are not affiliated with any court, government agency or political campaign.
Not legal advice
Our stories explain the law in general terms. They are not legal advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed Massachusetts attorney.