NCJ Number
139379
Journal
Media Studies Journal Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1992), 53-64
Editor(s)
C L LaMay
Date Published
1992
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article was written by a drug dealer who feared the publicity his imminent arrest would cause and the impact of intensive media scrutiny on his family more than the actual trial and imprisonment he faced.
Abstract
This offender was a white, middle-class, civic leader who believed he would make good copy. However, he was arrested in Switzerland and his extradition 8 months later and subsequent guilty plea did not elicit the feared media blitz. However, he uses the more notorious criminal cases involving Leona Helmsley and Michael Milken to illustrate how defendants can be harmed by their personalities and refusal to cooperate with the press. According to this author, the press tends to favor the prosecution with little regard for truth, particularly when dealing with wealthy defendants. However, he does point to several notable cases in which the media helped people unjustly accused and imprisoned.