Dateline, Murphy Cops in Trouble

Thanks to an Esquire expose and this blog, Dateline and the Murphy PD are coming under fire for their role in a "sting" operation to catch "predators" lured in by the diligent vigilantes at Perverted Justice:

A lengthy Esquire magazine account of the episode is to hit newsstands today. It assails Dateline for overstepping the bounds of newsgathering, and quotes Collin County District Attorney John Roach blasting Murphy police for being there "like potted plants, to make the scenery."

Now a Dateline competitor, ABC's 20/20, is investigating. A film crew cornered Murphy Police Chief Billy Myrick last week for an interview in the City Hall parking lot.

Along with the media scrutiny, Dateline is the target of lawsuits. In one, the dead prosecutor's sister blames the show for her brother's suicide. In another, a former Dateline producer accuses the network of firing her because she questioned the show's ethics.

Unfortunately, no one appears to be suing Perverted Justice just yet. But there's time.