A long time ago, you could listen to a radio broadcaster named Paul Harvey, who would give his plain-spoken, often heart-warming take on the day’s news. The legendary broadcaster often focused on what he called “the rest of the story”; the side of the news often ignored by other commentators and observers.
Sometimes when we read a news story today, we’re reminded by memories of Harvey to wait to hear “the rest of the story.” Take, for example, the recent tale told by KFVS about a Benton man, 20, charged with assault, wanton endangerment and unlawful imprisonment, among other accusations.
He’s accused of hitting a woman in the face in the parking lot of a local business, then driving “…away with her in the vehicle…” and hitting her again. She tried to get out, but he pulled her back in by the hair. However, when he released her hair, she exited the vehicle and went into the store for help.
The news article did not mention whether or not the two know each other.
In some similar sets of accusations, the pair does know each other and their interaction can be mutually defensive and offensive, making it difficult for outsiders to know who the aggressor is and why the clash is taking place. That’s why we need to hear “the rest of the story.”
That’s the side told away from reporters and away from police and prosecutors. It’s told by a defendant to a criminal defense attorney. The lawyer listens carefully and then applies the law to those facts, working to get charges dropped or reduced and any possible penalty diminished.