At a time when many news media rely on scandal and sensationalism to remain profitable, I rely on your newspaper for honest and unbiased reporting of facts with respect to news about government and government officials. Against this standard, I believe that The Baltimore Sun has tended to fail its readers with respect to its reporting during recent months on City Councilwoman Helen Holton in at least three respects.

First, it has repeatedly linked various criminal charges against Councilwoman Holton with the very separate charges lodged against former Mayor Sheila Dixon, despite the fact that no connection is known to exist between the two cases.

Second, because Ms. Holton apparently received donations from two contributors jointly during the last election cycle that were $4,000 above the legal limit, she recently pled "no contest" to a campaign finance violation. The Sun failed to adequately explain to its readers that this plea meant that while Ms. Holton did not refute the charge, she also did not claim guilt for it.

Third, in connection with this same over-the-limit contribution, The Sun has continued to make references to a charge of bribery against Ms. Holton, which as of the present, has been dismissed by two Maryland courts. In some of your articles, such as the one by Lorraine Mirabella titled "State Center renewal planned as a model" (October 12), for example, the writer managed to couple in the same sentence mention of a bribery indictment against Ronald H. Lipscomb and "an alleged bribery scheme involving City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton." This type of writing implied that a bribery charge might exist against Holton when no such charge any longer exits against her.

It is less than good reporting for your paper to link to Ms. Holton a plea to a charge that was actually made by another person based on charges lodged against them (whether Mr. Lipscomb, John Paterakis, or Ms. Dixon) that may well have nothing to do with her.

Whether or not a charge of bribery, once lodged and twice dismissed, against Ms. Holton will even be permitted to be filed again is under consideration by Maryland's highest court. While awaiting that court's decision, it would be more responsible and fair if The Sun would cease putting the cart before the horse by circulating misleading prejudgments about alleged linkages involving Ms. Holton to others based on mere speculation.

Dean R. Wagner