Every story on Former Lawman Live is sourced before it is written. The sourcing hierarchy runs: official agency statements and press releases, court records and charging documents, on-record statements from named officials, established wire services, and verified local reporting. Anonymous sourcing is not used. If a claim cannot be traced to a named source or official document, it does not appear in the story.
Before publication, every article goes through a fact-check pass covering names and titles, numbers and dates, agency identifiers, geography, legal language, and the status of any criminal charges. Confirmed facts are stated as fact. Unconfirmed details — officer names withheld pending notification, charges not yet filed, identities not yet released — are flagged explicitly in the text with language such as “has not been confirmed” or “has not been released.” Speculation does not appear in any form.
Officer names are withheld when the agency has not released them. Suspect names are used only when they appear in official charging documents or are confirmed by the agency. No personal addresses, personal contact information, or identifying details beyond what is in the public record are published. Geography is verified to the county or city level before a location is named in a story.
Developing stories are labeled as such when the situation is still unfolding. Stories are updated with new confirmed information as it becomes available, with the update noted at the top of the article.