Bulletproof Report Writing

d) Provide for a basis to fully refresh your memory for trial.

4) How are we going to accomplish this?

a) Accurate

b) Truthful

c) Professional

d) Complete

e) Persuasive

5) Who’s Your Audience?

6) Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

7) Class Exercise: Imagine You’re Driving a Patrol Car

Module 2: Report Mechanics

1) Do Not Write in ALL CAPS

2) Use Paragraphs

3) Use Topic Headings

4) Bullet Points

5) Exercise One: Patdown Report Writing

6) Identify People by Roles

7) Write in the First Person

8) Exercise Two

9) How to Write Sentences

10) Exercise Three

11) Synopsis

12) Exercise Four

13) Chronology

14) Articulating Reasonable Suspicion and Probable Cause

15) Exercise Five

16) Summary

17) Exercise Six

18) Report Writing Checklist

19) Prove the Elements

20) Exercise Seven

21) BWC Narration

22) Articulation

23) Reverse Engineer Case Law

24) Looking for Anything Out of the Ordinary

25) Separating People

26) Articulating Conclusions

27) Exercise Eight

28) Exercise Nine

Module Three: Recap

1) Don’t write in all CAPS

2) Use generous paragraph breaks

3) Use topic headings

4) Use bullet points

5) Identify people by roles

6) Write in the first-person style

7) Write short and direct sentences

8) Articulate conclusions

9) Look for evidence hidden in plain sight

Module Four: Courtroom Testimony Pointers

1) Tell the truth

2) Don’t guess

3) Make sure you understand the question

4) Take your time

5) Fully answer, then STOP

6) Never argue and stay calm

7) Talk loud enough

8) Be courteous

9) Don’t look at prosecutor for help

10)  Make sure jury knows when you estimate space and time

11)  Admit freely if asked did you discuss case with prosecutor

12)  State “Yes, I’ve talked with the prosecutor and was told to tell the truth.”

13)  Avoid jokes and wisecracks

14)  Don’t be afraid to look the jury in the eye and tell your story