The Dallas Morning News is seeking an aggressive, enterprise-oriented senior reporter to cover the Dallas County Court system, holding the criminal justice system accountable to county residents and highlighting notable and important trial coverage.
This is an accountability-driven beat for a court system that serves the largest county in the nation’s fourth-largest metropolitan area. Dallas County courts see more than 30,000 criminal cases and nearly 10,000 civil cases every year. Covering trials from gavel-to-gavel is not our primary goal.
This senior reporter will dig deeply to produce hard-hitting enterprise stories that show how the system is serving county residents, whether it’s fair to the people on all sides of the criminal justice system, and what can be done to solve systemic problems.
You’ll also track important cases that resonate with readers in Dallas, Texas and the country. A few of these from the past year include covering the evolving story of a student in Frisco charged witih murder in a stabbing at a high school track meet, the state’s ongoing efforts to execute Robert Roberson despite serious questions about the evidence used to convict him in 2003, and developments related to a truck crash in Terrell that killed five people after the driver allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel. These are competitive stories that are ripe for in-depth analysis and quick-hit follows that keep our readers informed and updated.
This beat has its share of breaking news. Recent breaking stories that touched the beat include the 2024 arrest of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice after he was involved in a six-vehicle crash in Dallas, the death of Dallas Police Officer Darron Burks in an ambush in southern Dallas, and the fallout of the second shooting in a year at a high school in rural Dallas.
When we do cover trials, they are the highest-profile cases – capital murder trials, cases involving prominent people and those that have had a significant impact on our community. We’re not looking for judicial “game stories.” Trial coverage should focus on the people involved and the impact of the outcome.
This reporter will keep track of multiple court systems, including civil, criminal, family and juvenile courts, as well as the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and the public defender’s office. The ability to connect with lawyers, defendants and victims equally, is critical; as is the ability to deal empathetically with criminal defendants and victims’ families as they navigate the judicial system and its implications.
This reporter is part of our local government accountability team and works closely with reporters who cover Dallas County, Dallas police and breaking news. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of reporting experience, preferably with some court reporting.
The Dallas Morning News believes a collaborative and inclusive work environment is essential to a thriving workplace. We are in search of a diverse group of candidates. It’s our mission to reach underserved communities, many of which include Spanish-speaking families. Fluency in Spanish is an advantage.
We are in the office three days a week. We believe time in the office is essential to a thriving and inclusive workplace where we develop and support one another as we produce revelatory work with our community in mind. Covering the courts beat demands being available to be at the courthouse whenever court is in session. This role could require night and weekend reporting.
