Symposium on Ethical Communications in Criminal Cases Sessions

Grounded in bipartisan principles on criminal justice, this breakout session invites participants to reflect on the legal and ethical issues introduced during the plenary and to explore how they apply in practice. The discussion will highlight how safety, fairness, dignity and accountability as essential to ethical communication and public trust. Facilitators will guide attendees in identifying where current policies fall short, what internal protocols may be needed, and how to tailor communication safeguards to meet jurisdiction-specific legal standards. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies for strengthening institutional communication policies through collaboration between legal and communications staff, along with policy examples and templates to evaluate and enhance their own frameworks.

This breakout session highlights the perspectives of those most directly affected by criminal case communications: victims, survivors, the accused, and their families. Participants will explore how narratives shared by media and justice institutions can either empower or harm individuals at the center of cases. Discussion topics include: • Ethical considerations when balancing transparency with privacy and dignity. • The role of trauma-informed communication in media coverage and legal messaging. • Effective strategies that focus on victim autonomy, privacy, and media relations that are victim-sensitive and trauma-informed. • Case studies where narratives either reinforced stereotypes or fostered greater public understanding. • Promising practices for including victim/survivor and community voices in shaping communication standards.

This session explores the ethical and legal obligations of prosecutors, defense attorneys, courts, and law enforcement when communicating with the media. It highlights internal policies that promote transparency while safeguarding due process and preserving the integrity of the legal process. The discussion will include an examination of the prosecutor’s duty to inform, recognizing the existence and contours of this responsibility, and what it looks like in practice when balancing the public’s right to know with defendants’ rights to a fair trial. Examples of model practices: • Office-wide media contact policies for legal staff • Ethical guidelines for attorney speech on pending cases • Interagency joint communication protocols • Frameworks for fulfilling the prosecutor’s duty to inform while protecting case integrity

This breakout session explores how prosecutors, journalists, and policymakers can use data and technology to shape public understanding of crime trends in ways that promote accuracy and accountability. Too often, isolated incidents drive headlines while broader context such as long-term reductions in violence, demographic patterns, or disparities in enforcement are left out. Participants will discuss practical strategies to translate data into clear messaging that informs the public. Discussion topics include: • Distinguishing anecdote from trend when communicating about crime or safety • Presenting data on crime, prosecution, and outcomes in accessible formats • Avoiding statistical misuse and misleading comparisons • Building partnerships between agencies, researchers, and journalists for responsible data interpretation • Using data dashboards, public reports, and community engagement to foster trust and transparency