Covering some of America’s most sensational trials, she produced urgent, pithy “ledes” in the best tradition of wire-service reporting. Here’s a sampler.

Linda Deutsch, one of the deans of American courtroom reporting, covered criminal trials for The Associated Press for nearly 50 years. She was a master of the concise opening paragraph — known as the lede — and the evocative sentence or two that followed, in the best tradition of wire-service reporting.

Here is how Ms. Deutsch, who died on Sunday at 80, began articles reporting verdicts that the whole country seemed to be awaiting in a state of high anxiety.

Jan. 26, 1971

Charles Manson, Followers, Guilty of Slayings

Charles Manson, shaggy leader of a cult-like clan of hippie types, was convicted Monday of first-degree murder and conspiracy along with three women followers in the savage slayings of actress Sharon Tate and six others.

The state said it will ask the death penalty for

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