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Cryptogram Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
The suspect then pulled out a shotgun and blew the victim's head off
I see lots of sentences like this in the US media. Why do they use words like suspect when they really mean perpetrator?
Top answer
It is in a court of law-- the crime remains alleged until the court ruling.
- It is in a court of law-- the crime remains alleged until the court ruling.
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5 Answers
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It is in a court of law-- the crime remains alleged until the court ruling.
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I can understand that use in a subordinate clause, eg: "it is alleged that..." or "Mr Smith said that..." but this is in the main clause and indicative. To me it seems like a contradiction; saying suspect implies we are unsure if this is the right person, when that is not the case.
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Don't confuse logic with the legal system.
Until the court comes back and says that he was found guilty of murder, he's not a murderer, not the perpetrator, only the suspect.
Until the court comes back and says that he was found guilty of murder, he's not a murderer, not the perpetrator, only the suspect.
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It is the case until they have been found guilty in court. Before you have been judged guilty or innocent, you are a suspect. It doesn't matter if you were caught standing over the body, holding a gun, and shouting 'I did it!' - until the case is closed you are legally called a suspect. Don't confuse the noun use of suspect here with the verb suspect, which is very tenuous.
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