Naturelle
Proud Member
Not common practice but tabloids do not follow any regular case either. This is a high profile case, everything is different.
Furthermore I believe that there is distinction between telling or learning and giving or getting information. I think nobody is giving or telling them information but they are able to get and learn the information.
If this information (time of the arraignment) is true it does not necessarily mean the authorities (police or DA) gave this information - probably there are a bunch of court clerks (or office assistants etc) someplace that works on arranging, scheduling such events and/or access to that information. The source of the information could easily be a regular employee in the legal system with the ability to access such information.
now on a side note about TMZ - Harvey Levin (the person who runs it) is actually a lawyer who has also covered the OJ Simpson case , has been doing court/legal shows for a long time. So yes he apparently has good connections in the legal (courts, DA's, police etc) circles (and check the stories that they do about other celebrities as well - most of them are about legal issues). They also have connections with the Jackson family - they have directly named Joe, Randy, Katherine's lawyers and Estate's lawyers as sources. Furthermore they told that they are dedicated to follow MJ news and they are keeping this promise - today they were outside the courtroom, murray's lawyer's office, his girlfriends house and who knows where else.
You are so right on Ivy with everything you said above.