The distinction is both legalistic and linguistic, and the callers who regularly raise the issue often are part of the legal system. Newspaper folks always understood the distinction. Well, the good reason for this longtime practice finally disappeared with changing times and technologies. The dictionary still says they mean the same thing.
Lawyers beg to differ.
Whether a person was proven innocent may be another matter entirely. Until something is in its second year, no one knows for sure whether it's going to be annual. It either is unique or it isn't. Readers wanting more Readers spotted two opportunities for the newspaper to provide more information in recent editions. In the Wednesday Business pages one of the top stories was about roll-over tests for 43 vehicles.