Proofreaders to the Rescue!
By Katie Earley, Copywriter
We’ve heard about these before: legal cases where the bulk of the case comes down to a grammatical error or confusion. I read about another case this week on CNN.
The official verdict, signed by the jurors, read:
“We, the Jury, find the Defendant Guilty of the offense of POSSESSION OF CRACK COCAINE.
“We, the jury, further find that the amount of crack cocaine WAS in the amount exceeding ten one hundred (100) grams as charged in the indictment.”
The word “ten” is unnecessary and confuses the meaning of the sentence. Did he have more than 100 grams of cocaine or less than one gram? He was in the process of serving time for more than 100 grams, but having found the error, was able to go ahead and get released for the lesser possible offense.
Apparently, he did have more than 100 grams of cocaine, so before you get upset about the early release for a first-degree felony over a three-letter word, please note that he’s now being extradited to another state for probation violations.
This tale serves as an important reminder of how important proofreading is. My nerdy heart is always glad to see grammar in the news. Other stories of important moments in grammar are here and here.
