Using the Words

Exercise I. Translation.

Write down all the possible Russian equivalents to the following words.

abrogate, acquit, adjudicate, advocate, commute, extort, indict, penury,

extradite, larceny, sanction, felony, litigation, tort, forensic, malfeasance, vagrant

Exercise II. You're the Lawyer.

Using all of the information in list above and Roots, complete the following with the correct expressions or words on the lines.

1. A model prisoner hopes that his five-year sentence may be __________ to only two or three years.

2. I trespassed on your property in such a disorderly, noisy manner that your flock of turkeys panicked and several died in the crush. Under what law may you take me to court? ________________

3. On the witness stand, I failed to mention that the accused had been at the scene of the crime on the fatal night. When this critical omission was discovered, I was charged with ________________.

4. The final pronouncement of innocence or guilt is known as the __________.

5. The marriage of King Henry УШ and Anne of Cleves was not consummated, and Henry had their marriage abrogated by court order. This is commonly called __________________.

6. The noise of my building crew exceeded that allowed by local ordinance, and I was prohibited from further building by a court ____________ until the situation could be rectified.

7. I didn't have enough money to pay for the gas put in my tank. I took money from the gas station's cash box and was caught red-handed with the stolen five-dollar bill. The station owner prosecuted, charging me with ____________.

8. On a dare, I dressed in rags, pretended to be sozzled (пьяный), and loitered conspicuously around the bus station. Luckily, the policeman who questioned me believed my story and didn't haul me to the station as a ____________.

9. Having watched lots of cops and robbers on television, I know that when taken to the police station I have the right to call my ____________, who will act as ___________ for my defense.

10. At an international meeting, members voted on ____________ prohibiting excessive fishing of dolphins and whales, and establishing mileage limits within which me creatures would be safe from all fishing.

11. The kidnapper of my daughter will need a lawyer with awesome ___________skills-if he hopes to be imprisoned the minimum number of years required by law.

12. As elected treasurer of the Latin Club, I deposited the dues in my personal bank account so that I could collect the interest. The dues were spent over the year but I kept the interest and am guilty of ____________.

13. My car rammed your car, which I maintain was crossing illegally in front of me. Neither of us will admit blame. We've hired lawyers and are now embroiled in __________.

14. Pity the judge who ____________ the foregoing disputes. He must have some long days.

15. In his home state the alleged murderer was ____________ by a grand jury on a charge of homicide.

16. Months later we heard that our alleged murderer was just that: alleged. He was innocent of the crime and ____________ by a jury of his peers.

Exercise III. Antonyms.

Find an antonym (or opposing phrase) for each word on the left.

1. interdict (a) to indulge in

2. establish (b) to absolve, acquit

3. advocate (v.) (c) to sanction

4. abjure (d) stable, fixed

5. indict (e) dictatorship

6. sanction (v.) (f) to abrogate

7. vagrant (g) reparation

8.democracy (h) to disapprove of

9. adjure (i) to discourage, go against

10. junction (j) to beg, plead with

Exercise IV. Word Analysis.

1. What is the difference between a civil lawsuit and a criminal one?

2. Do you agree or disagree with Rene Descartes's assertion about the government of a state? Why?

3. The television program "Quincy" was about a medical doctor in the police department whose specialty was forensic medicine. Briefly, what is forensic medicine?

4. Vagabond, rover, vagrant, wanderer, and tramp can, at times, be synonymous, but their connotations are quite different. Which ones are positive or neutral in meaning, and which negative? Which one(s) suggest(s) a carefree, independent person? Of the five words, which one could you accept as a description of yourself?

5. What is a larcenous thought?

SUPPLEMENTARY III. Oral Topics

CRIME

Before reading the text tell your partner what you know about crime. Have you ever encountered with criminals. What were your feelings?

Once a crime has been committed, criminal law defines every phase of procedure from' the, investigation, through the trial, to the type and length of punishment if there is a conviction. In. the investigation phase the police play a primary role in the pretrial stage. They are responsible for the arrest of suspects, searching and investigating suspects’ and victims' homes for evidence, the questioning of witnesses, and the carrying out of searches and seizures A. warrant empowers the police to arrest a suspect or to search premises and seize property to obtain properties.

Once a suspect is in custody, charges are brought against him by a prosecuting attorney or by a grand jury. The suspect is normally granted a pretrial hearing before a judge, at which time the charges against him are read. At this hearing the judge determines whether there is sufficient evidence to justify further action.

All defendants have a right to legal representations from the time of their arrest. The defense lawyer takes part in all procedures from the pretrial hearing to the post conviction stage.

Private citizens have the right to bring charges against a person they think have committed a crime. This is most often done by contacting the police. There are some offenses for which there is no prosecution unless the victim decides in favor of prosecution.

Defendants in criminal trials have the right to a jury. But they can choose to be tried before a judge only. Some nations do not have the jury system; it has been almost entirely abandoned in Europe, surviving only in Austria, Belgium, Norway, and parts of Switzerland. If a defendant admits before a court to being guilty, there is no need to call a jury.

In Anglo-American law evidence is presented by both the prosecution and the defense. The function of the judge is to enforce the rules regarding evidence and to ask questions to clarify the facts. In European procedures one of the main tasks of the judge is to get evidence by questioning witnesses and experts. Defendants do not have the right to take the stand to testify in their behalf as they do in British and American trials. Instead they are questioned by the presiding judge, but they may choose to keep silent.

A basic rule of criminal law is that guilt must be established beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden of proof rests upon the prosecution. This is the basis of the often-heard "A person is innocent until proven guilty". American law generally requires that every person on a jury must agree on a person's innocence or guilt before they reach a verdict, but in European law a two- thirds majority of the judges is sufficient for the verdict. Once a defendant has been found guilty, the sentencing takes place at a special hearing before a judge. In crimes that can be punished by death, a jury may be asked to pass the sentence or at least express an advisory opinion.

After a conviction, or verdict of guilty, the defense lawyer may ask for a new trial

Pick out an idea or a phrase in every paragraph, which you think is most informative. Summarize the ideas and the answers to the following questions to write a précis about crime.

1. What are the phases of procedure in criminal law?

2. What are the functions of the police in the investigation phase?

3. Who is responsible for charges against a suspect?

4. What rights does a defendant have?

5. Who is responsible for the right of a defendant to legal representation?

6. What are the differences between the presentation of evidence in Anglo-American and European law?

7. What is a basic rule of criminal law?

8. What is the ground for appealing to a higher court?