Following the commission of a crime, but prior to the making of an arrest, the issuance of an arrest warrant or the filing of formal charges, the following limitations on release of information to the news media apply. (1) Releases shall be limited to pertinent facts related to the crime itself including nature of the offense, information concerning the victim, location, and approximate time of the crime, and information as to what agency or agencies are investigating. (2) The fact that laboratory examinations are being made by the Department of Public Safety lab may be released, but the details or results shall be considered confidential. This same limitation applies to polygraph examinations, but does not apply to blood alcohol concentration tests. (3) Prior to the filing of formal charges, the identity of a person wanted for questioning should not be disclosed unless determined by the investigators to be necessary to aid in the investigation, to assist in the apprehension or location of the person, or to warn the public of any dangers. |
