I winked at a man today

Each week I attend a grand jury press conference staffed by a senior attorney with the local district attorney's office. I learned a long time ago that the man does not divulge any information unless it is already in the public domain. For me, the meeting has turned into an opportunity to leave questions about crime behind and instead speak with a professional about his opinions on local or national politics, story ideas or to get background information on select topics.

Another reporter attends each meeting.

Before we could even take our seats today, the man who usually conducts mentioned to me that the district attorney would at some point join us because he wanted to discuss something with me. Would you believe he wanted to talk about my story on the death row prisoner? It didn't surprise me. Everybody I speak with brings it up -- still.

The DA made a request that I think is reasonable -- even appropriate. He told me that next time I write such a story, he would appreciate if I called in advance to let him know. He wanted to be able to warn crime victims before such a story hit the newspaper and compared it to police not releasing names of deceased people until next of kin is notified.

I told him I would definitely do that in the future.

The other reporter and I stayed for a few minutes and spoke casually with the DA. The other reporter brought up part of a story out of Austin that said at least one of the reporters who the man on death row had contacted via cell phone had also contacted authorities. The reporter was venting and mentioned to the DA that he didn't contact authorities and neither did I.

The DA stopped him and pressed him. "Neither of you contacted authorities?"

The reporter went on talking and assured the DA that that was the case. As he spoke, I made sure the DA was looking me in the eye and with a half smile on my face I winked at him.

He did not respond, but I know he got the message.

And I was reminded of a lesson every reporter should always remember: that if you don't ask good, direct questions, sometimes you can think you know the truth when you really don't.