Editorial policy guidelines
Docket ZeroEditorial Standards
Presumption of Innocence
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a United States Court of Law.Docket Zero publishes facts from official court records. No case published here represents guilt, conviction, or judicial finding except where the court document itself states such a finding.Allegations are allegations until adjudicated. Outcomes differ from allegations. We report the record. We do not render judgments.What We Do
1.Primary Records Only
Every case published by Docket Zero traces to official documents:Indictments
Plea agreements
Court rulings and judgments
Federal audits and reports
We do not publish unverified allegations or secondhand accounts. Everything in Docket Zero comes from the official record.2.Accuracy & Corrections
We commit to accuracy. When we make errors, we:Publish a dated correction
Keep the original post visible with the correction attached
Notify subscribers of significant corrections
Never silently edit or delete original content
3.No Commentary
We describe what happened based on the record. We do not:Assign motive to individuals
Characterize people based on allegations
Provide editorial interpretation or opinion
Speculate on legal significance
The document speaks for itself. Our job is to make it clear and accessible.4.Status Always Clear
With every case, we label the legal status:Charged — Indicted, but trial not yet concluded
Charged and Acquitted — Tried and found not guilty
Convicted — Found guilty or pleaded guilty
Pending Trial — Charges filed, awaiting adjudication
Appealed — Conviction or sentence under appeal
Status is never assumed. It comes from the official record.5.Public Record Protection
Government documents and court records we publish are public record and are not subject to copyright restrictions under U.S. law. However:Our selection and curation are original work
Our analysis and commentary are protected
Our formatting and design are protected
When you republish our work, attribution is required.What We Don't Do
We don't speculate. We report facts from court documents, not theories.
We don't characterize. We don't say individuals are "good" or "bad"—we describe what they did according to official records.
We don't guess outcomes. We report what a document says, not what we think it means.
We don't sell data. We don't share subscriber lists or email addresses with anyone.
We don't train AI on your data. Your email and our content are not authorized for use in AI systems.
How You Can Help
If you spot an error in a published case:Email us at [email protected]
Describe the error and include the case link
Provide the official source showing the correction
We will investigate and publish a correction if warranted
Questions About a Case?
Every published case includes a link to the original court document. That's the source of truth. If you want more details than our summary provides:Read the full indictment or ruling (linked with every case)
Check the court docket (search by case number)
Consult a lawyer if you have legal questions
We summarize what the record says. We don't interpret or explain it. That's your job—and a lawyer's job—if it matters to you.