preconviction

Although television has long played fact-fiction shell games, preconviction films are distinguished by their own mischief with the truth.

Preconviction docudramas get excellent publicity in the form of front-page headlines, but they are scheduled to coincide with the trials of their main characters.

In short, a Presidential pardon, contrary to the widespread public perception, does not erase the guilty finding by a judge or jury, but rather restores the guilty party's civil and other preconviction rights.

This being Connecticut, Mr. Rowland took more of a classy, preconviction Martha Stewart tack, indulging in cottage improvements, hot tubs, cut-rate vacations, advantageous real estate deals and the rest.

This genre, which includes "D.C. Sniper" as well as tomorrow night's "Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story," which Mr. Erickson also wrote for USA, might be called preconviction docudrama.

Ms. Stewart's television deal was announced in December, two months after she began serving her prison sentence, just as preconviction public opinion about her - that hubris caused her to lie about a stock sale and that she deserved punishment - seemed to be tipping to a judgment that she had been treated too harshly.