How is a criminal case tried?
In a trial, issues of fact are determined by a jury if one is used'. The jurors listen to the witnesses and decide who and what to believe. Both the plaintiff and the defendant may voluntarily waive(give up) the right to trial by jury. If they do so, the judge alone listens to the testimony and decides the facts.
Issues of law, however, are always decided by the judge. The judge explains to the jury what rules of law to apply to the facts.
A trial jury is a group of independent citizens (usually 12) selected to determine questions of fact. The method of jury selection can be different.
The procedure in a jury trial is the following. After the jury for a specific case has been selected and sworn, the attorney for each side may give an opening statement. These statements briefly outline what will be proved. The evidence is then presented to the jury, first by the plaintiff and then by the defendant. Evidence includes anything that provides information used to prove or disprove the alleged facts. Evidence may consist of written documents, audio and video records, weapons, photographs, and other objects, but usually it is the testimony of witnesses. Testimony consists of statements made, by witnesses in court. A witness is someone who was present during the incident and has personal knowledge of the facts. Sometimes expert witnesses (witnesses who possess better knowledge about a subject in dispute) are called upon to give expert opinions.
A witness is invited to the court by means of a subpoena. A subpoena is a written order by the judge commanding the named person to appear in court at a given time and place to give testimony. Willful failure (unexcused failure) to appear in court is a type of contempt of court and can be punished by the judge, without a trial.
After the presentation of the evidence, the attorney for each side gives closing remarks. During those remarks, each attorney summarizes the case, trying to persuade the judge (and jury if there is one) to favor his side. After consultation with the attorneys, the judge then instructs the jury as to the rules of law governing the issues of fact they must decide, and as to the corpus delictiincriminated to the defendant. The jury then retires to the jury room for secret discussion and deliberationin order to reach a verdict. The verdict is the decision of the jury. In a civil case, the verdict will be for either the plaintiff or the defendant. In a criminal case, the verdict will be either for the prosecution or for the defendant.
For conviction of a crime, a unanimous verdict of guilty is usually required. This means that every juror must vote the same way. A jury which cannot reach an agreement is called a hung jury. In this event, the case may be retried by another jury.
In a civil action, a majority or three-fourths in a jury is usually required for a verdict.
Vocabulary notes:
| testimony – свидетельские показания под присягой | to favor – поддерживать (кого-л. из сторон) |
| trial jury – суд присяжных | expert witnesses – судебный эксперты |
| to waive – отказываться | contempt of court – оскорбление суда |
| opening statement – вступительные показания | closing remarks – заключительные замечания |
| to outline – наметить в общих чертах, обрисовать | to retire – уходить, удаляться |
| evidence – свидетельские показания | deliberation – размышление, взвешивание, обдумывание |
| to disprove – опровергать; доказывать ложность | corpus delicti – состав преступления |
| expert opinion – мнение эксперта | to incriminate – инкриминировать, обвинять в преступлении (in), возлагать вину |
| subpoena– вызов кого-л. в суд в качестве свидетеля | verdict – вердикт; решение присяжных заседателей |
| willful – преднамеренный; намеренный, сознательный, умышленный | prosecution – обвинение (сторона в судебном процессе) |
| failure to appear in court – неявка в суд | hung jury – суд присяжных, который не пришел к единогласному решению |
| witness – свидетель | to retry – снова разбирать (судебное дело), снова слушать в суде |
II. Answer the following questions:
1. Who decides issues of fact in a trial?
2. Who decides issues of law in a trial?
3. What is a trial jury?
4. What is evidence?
5. What can be used as evidence?
6. Who can be a witness?
7. Who are expert witnesses?
8. What is sent to the witness to participate in a trial?
9. What is a verdict?
10. What can be done if a jury cannot reach an agreement?
III. Find in the text the English equivalents to the following words and expressions:
1. заслушивать свидетеля
2. суд присяжных
3. по особому делу
4. уголовное дело
5. неявка в суд
6. адвокат кратко излагает суть дела
7. решение суда присяжных
8. предоставлять информацию
9. инкриминировать
10. суд присяжных, который не пришел к единогласному решению
IV. Match the following English expressions containing the word VERDICT with their Russian equivalents:
| 1. final verdict | a. вердикт о виновности |
| 2. general verdict | b. вердикт о невиновности |
| 3. partial verdict | c. вердикт об оправдании |
| 4. special verdict | d. вердикт об осуждении |
| 5. to attain/ reach/ return/ bring in a verdict | e.вердикт, вынесенный по частям |
| 6. unanimous verdict | f. генеральный вердикт, вердикт по существу дела |
| 7. verdict of acquittal | g. окончательный вердикт |
| 8. verdict of conviction | h. ошибочный вердикт |
| 9. verdict of guilty | i. прийти к соглашению относительно вердикта |
| 10. verdict of non-guilty | j. вердикт, вынесенный единогласно |
| 11. wrong verdict | k. специальный вердикт |
| 12. to agree to/ upon verdict | l. вынести вердикт |
TEXT 3B
I. Read and translate the text using the words and word combinations after it:
WHO GIVES THE JUDGMENT?
After the verdict of a jury has been returned, the judge, in accordance with the verdict, pronounces (or gives) a judgment. The judgment is the final result of the trial. In a criminal action the judgment is the sentencing of the defendant to jail or prison, or it is the imposition of other punishment, such as a fine.
In a civil action, the judgment will normally be for a sum of money if the plaintiff wins. If the defendant wins, the judgment will merely be «judgment for the defendant.» The loser is sometimes required to pay the court of the trial, but ordinarily each party pays his or her own attorney’s fees. As a consequence, even the winning defendant may incur losses in money, as well as in time and energy.
Generally a judgment of a lower court is not final in regard to the rights of the parties. Either of the parties may have the case reviewed for errors by a higher court. As was explained earlier, issues of law are decided by the judge. If either party believes the judge did not rule properly on any such issue, an appeal against the judgment(appeal claiming error) may be made to a higher court.
When an appeal is taken, the higher court may find that an important error was made during the trial in the lower court. Examples of errors would include incorrect instructions to the jury, admission of evidence that should have been admitted. In such an event, the court may modify or reverse the judgment of the lower court or order a new trial. If there is no error in the record, the reviewing court will affirm the judgment of the lower court.