Who said "that"?

From my experience, the word "that" is the most overused word. It simply isn't needed most of the time. Although "that" doesn't do any harm, deleting it and other unneeded words can remove clutter from your writing. I'll bet once you start paying attention to this word you'll be surprised how often you use it needlessly. Here are some examples.

1.    She said that the family closed the business.

2.    Smith said that opening another restaurant is a possibility.

3.    Jones says in the suit that he was warned that he would be forced to resign or be fired.

4.    The suit alleges that the defendants conspired to get Jones fired.

5.    Police said Smith reported that his 2006 Toyota stolen.