legal writing 31

Proofreading is an essential part of the legal writing process. Errors in legal writing reflect poorly upon the individual who prepared it, as well as on the law firm for whom that individual works.

Use the proofreading checklist presented in Exhibit 14–4 of your text (page 452) to correct the following paragraph:

• "In the early morning hours, of December 14, the defendant led police on a high-speed automobile chase through several neighborhoods, and on to the freeway. The chase begun when the defendant ran a red light in the city limits and was pursued by a member of the city police, and the chase ended nearly twenty-five minutes later when defendant unsuccessfully attempted to exit the freeway, causing his automobile to leave the pavement, cut through a wooden fence, and came to rest in the backyard of a residence. Defendant then got out of his car and fled from police on foot. After a 30-minute search, police apprehended defendant while he was hiding in a bush. The arresting officer states that the defendant was unsteady on his feet, and that his eyes were bloodshot. The defendant refuses to submit to blood alcohol test, and at trial, an expert trained as a drunk driving enforcement officer testifies that the defendant exhibited all the classic signs of someone who was extremely intoxicated."

NOTE: If you are using Microsoft Word, you may click on the "Review" tab and then on the "Track Changes" drop down and click the "Track Changes" option. This will show a redline of all the edits you make to the paragraph so you (and your professor) can easily see what's being edited.

Be sure to reference all sources using Bluebook citation format.