Note: This week we are introducing a new, occasional feature called “Ask the Courier-Herald.” If you have a question about something around town that might not be news, but deserves an answer, submit your question to the reporters at the Courier-Herald and let us see if we can figure out an answer. This week’s question is something we were wondering about in the newsroom.

Q. On the morning of daylight saving time, the day has a pair of 1 a.m. times, since the clock is rolled back at 2 a.m. How is this recorded by police officers who make an arrest on a crime committed during the rollback? Could a defendant arrested for a crime committed in the hour after daylight saving plausibly present an alibi from immediately before the change in court?

A. It depends on the case and how much attention and care the arresting officer puts into the report.

“The short answer is generally not,” Sumner City Attorney Brett Vinson said. “When police officers issue a citation, the line to note the time says ‘occurred on or about.’ In most instances to prove a case, I don’t need to prove a time for the crime, I just have to prove that the crime was committed.”

Cases of driving under the influence are a notable exception because a blood-alcohol reading must be taken within two hours of the time the offender stopped drinking to be valid. If a drunk driver is stopped at 1:15 a.m., and which 1:15 a.m. he was tested isn’t noted, it could present a problem if one of those times would place the driver outside the time limit, Vinson said.

“With good report writing, an officer can write down whether the incident happened before or after daylight savings,” he said.

Do you have a question that isn’t necessarily a full story, but is nevertheless interesting to you? Ask us and we’ll find the answer. Write to blnews@courierherald.com or call 360-825-2555.