The witness for the prosecution
(after Agatha Christie)
| Useful Words and Expressions for Speech Practice | |
| to commit a murder - совершить убийство dastardly crime - подлое преступление to find smb guilty - признать кого-л. виновным to plead guilty / to admit one's guilt - признать свою вину to confess - признаться | counsel for the defense - адвокат witness for the prosecution / for the defense - свидетель обвинения / защиты prisoner - заключенный to render / to give a verdict - вынести решение / вердикт (о присяжных) |
Task 1. Read and translate the text below.
The trial of Leonard Vole for the murder of Emily French aroused widespread interest. In the first place the prisoner was young and good-looking, then he was accused of a particularly dastardly crime, and there was the further interest of Romaine Heilger the principal witness for the prosecution. There had been pictures of her in many papers, and several fictitious stories as to her origin and history.
The proceedings opened quietly enough. Various technical evidence came first. Then Janet Mackenzie was called. She told substantially the same story as before. In cross-examination counsel for the defence succeeded in getting her to contradict herself once or twice over her account of Vole's association with Miss French; he emphasised the fact that though she had heard a man's voice in the sitting-room that night, there was nothing to show that it was Vole who was there, and he managed to drive home a feeling that jealousy and dislike of the prisoner were at the bottom of a good deal of her evidence.
Then the next witness was called.
"Your name is Romaine Heilger?"
"Yes."
"You are an Austrian subject?"
"Yes."
"For the last three years you have lived with the prisoner and passed yourself off as his wife?"
Just for a moment Romaine Heilger's eyes met those of the man in the dock.
"Yes."
The questions went on. Word by word the damning fact came out. On the night in question the prisoner had taken out a crowbar with him. He had returned at twenty minutes past ten, and had confessed to having killed the old lady. His cuffs had been stained with blood, and he had burned them in the kitchen stove. He had terrorised her into silence by means of threats.
As the story proceeded, the feeling of the court which had been slightly favourable to the prisoner, now set dead against him.
Formidable and ponderous, counsel for the defence arose. He put it to her that her story was a malicious fabrication from start to finish, that she had not even been in her own house at the time in question - that she was in love with another man and was deliberately seeking to send Vole to his death for a crime he did not commit.
Romaine denied these allegations with superb insolence. Then came the production of the letter. It was read aloud in court in the midst of a breathless stillness.
"Max, beloved, the Fates have delivered him into our hands! He has been arrested for murder - but, yes, the murder of an old lady! Leonard, who would not hurt a fly! At last I shall have my revenge. The poor chicken! I shall say that he came in that night with blood upon him - that he confessed to me. I shall hang him, Max - and when he hangs he will know and realize that it was Romaine who sent him to his death. And then - happiness, beloved! Happiness at last!"
There were experts present ready to swear that the handwriting was that of Romaine Heilger, but they were not needed. Confronted with the letter, Romaine broke down utterly and confessed everything. Leonard Vole had returned to his house at the time he said, twenty past nine. She had invented the whole story to ruin him.
Sir Charles called his few witnesses, the prisoner himself went into the box and told his story in a manly straight - forward manner, unshaken by cross-examination.
The prosecution endeavoured to rally, but without great success. The judge's summing up was not wholly favourable to the prisoner, but a reaction had set in and the jury needed little time to consider their verdict.
"We find the prisoner not guilty."
Leonard Vole was free!
Little Mr. Mayherne hurried from his seat. He must congratulate his client.
He found himself polishing his pince-nez vigorously, and checked himself. His wife had told him only the night before that he was getting a habit of it. Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them.
An interesting case — a very interesting case. That woman, now, Romaine Heilger.
If he closed his eyes he could see her now, tall and vehement, her right hand clenching and unclenching itself unconsciously all the time. Curious things, habits. That gesture of hers with the hand was her habit, he supposes. Yet he had seen someone else do it quite lately. Who was it now? Quite lately —
The woman in Shaw's Rents —
It was impossible — Yet, Romaine Heilger was an actress.
He wanted one thing only — to see Romaine Heilger face to face.
He did not see her until some time later, and the place of their meeting is not relevant.
"So you guessed," she said. 'The face? Oh that was easy enough, and the light of that gas jet was too bad for you to see the make-up."
"But why — why —"
"Why did I play a lone hand?" She smiled a little, remembering the last time she had used the words. "My friend — I had to save him. The evidence of a woman devoted to him would not have been enough — you hinted yourself. But I know something of the psychology of crowds. Let my evidence be wrung from me, as an admission, damning me in the eyes of the law, and a reaction in favour of the prisoner would immediately set in."
"And the bundle of letters?"
"One alone, the vital one, might have seemed like a — what do you call it? — put-up job."
"Then the man called Max?"
"Never existed, my friend."
"1 still think," said little Mr. Mayherne, "that we could have got him off by the — er — normal procedure."
"I dare not risk it. You see you thought he was innocent -"
"But you knew it? I see," said little Mr. Mayherne.
"My dear Mr. Mayherne," said Romaine, "you do not see at all. I knew - he was guilty!"
Answer the following questions:
1. Did Janet Mackenzie succeed in cross examination?
2. What testimony did Ms Heilger bear?
3. What was her purpose?
4. What was the verdict?
Task 2. Match the following English expressions with their Russian equivalents:
| 1. trial 2. prisoner 3. dastardly crime 4. counsel for the defence 5. to confess 6. to commit a murder 7. verdict 8. to find the prisoner not guilty 9. to send to death | a) отправить на смерть b) судебное разбирательство c) признаться d) совершить убийство e) вердикт, решение f) признать обвиняемого невиновным g) заключенный, обвиняемый h) подлое преступление i) защитник |
Task 3. Translate the following sentences into English using the words and word combinations from the text above:
1) Судебный процесс над Леонардом Воулом, обвиняемым в убийстве, вызвал общественный интерес. 2) Его обвинили в совершении подлого, трусливого убийства. 3) В зал суда был вызван следующий свидетель. 4) Он признался в убийстве пожилой женщины. 5) Она была главным свидетелем обвинения. 6) Во время перекрестного допроса адвокат добился того, что свидетель начал противоречить сам себе. 7) Адвокат заявил, что свидетель умышленно пытается отправить подсудимого на смерть за убийство, которого он не совершал. 8) Мы считаем, что подсудимый невиновен.
Task 4. Complete the sentences with the words and word combinations from the table.
| accused of a particularly dastardly crime; innocent; guilty; confessed to having killed; cross-examination; trial; arrested for murder. |
1) The ________of Leonard Vole for the murder of Emily French aroused widespread interest.
2) In the first place the prisoner was young and good-looking, then he was____________________________.
3) In _____________counsel for the defence succeeded in getting her to contradict herself once or twice.
4) He had returned at twenty minutes past ten, and had _______________the old lady.
5) He has been _______________.
6) We find the prisoner not______________.
7) You thought he was______________.
UNIT 4
If tomorrow comes
(after Sidney Sheldon)
| Useful Words and Expressions for Speech Practice | |
| guilty plea - заявление подсудимого о признании вины judicial system - судебная система to kill in cold blood - хладнокровно убить кого-либо to incarcerate smb / to imprison smb / to put smb behind bars - заключать в тюрьму to drive to suicide - довести до самоубийства to coddle criminals - потворствовать преступникам | insurance claim - страховое требование district attorney - прокурор penitentiary - тюрьма confession - признание bankruptcy - банкротство handcuffs - наручники victim - жертва pimp - сводник, сутенер cell - тюремная камера - заключить в тюрьму |
Task 1. Read and translate the text below.
She was not permitted to make any phone calls before she was returned to the courtroom. Ed Topper stood on one side of her, and Perry Pope on the other. Seated on the bench was a distinguished-looking man in his fifties, with a smooth, unlined face and thick, styled hair.
Judge Henry Lawrence said to Tracy, "The court has been informed that the defendant wishes to change her plea from not guilty. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Your Honour."
"Are all parties in agreement?"
Perry Pope nodded. "Yes, Your Honour."
"The state agrees. Your Honour," the district attorney said.
Judge Lawrence sat there in silence for a long moment. Then he leaned forward and looked into Tracy's eyes. "One of the reasons this great country of ours is in such pitiful shape is that the streets are crawling with vermin who think they can get away with anything. People who laugh at the law. Some judicial systems in this country coddle criminals. Well, in Louisiana, we don't believe in that. When, during the commission of felony, someone tries to kill in cold blood, we believe that person should be properly punished."
Tracy began to feel the first stirrings of panic. She turned to look at Perry Pope. His eyes were fixed on the judge.
"The defendant has admitted that she attempted to murder one of the outstanding citizens of this community — a man noted for his philanthropy and good works. The defendant shot him while in the act of stealing an art object worth half a million dollars." His voice grew harsher. "Well, this court is going to see to it that you don't get to enjoy that money - not for the next fifteen years, because for the next fifteen years you're going to be incarcerated in the Southern Louisiana Penitentiary for Women."
Answer the following questions:
1. Why did judge Lawrence agree to accept a guilty plea from Tracy?
2. What was judge Lawrence' speech about?
3. Why did Tracy begin to feel the first stirrings of panic?
4. What did judge Lawrence say about Joseph Romano?
Task 2. Match the following English expressions with their Russian equivalents:
| 1. defendant 2. to punish 3. felony 4. guilty plea 5. to steal 6. judicial system 7. to incarcerate 8. penitentiary | a) заявление подсудимого о признании вины b) тюрьма c) подсудимый, ответчик d) тяжкое преступление e) наказывать f) заключать в тюрьму g) судебная система h) украсть |
Task 3. Translate the following sentences into English using the words and word combinations from the text above:
1) Некоторые люди смеются над законом. 2) Судья не разрешил ей позвонить кому-либо по телефону. 3) Он согласился принять от вас заявление о признании вины. 4) Судья сказал, что общество потворствует преступникам. 5) Судья спросил, пришли ли стороны к соглашению. 6) Если кто-то пытается хладнокровно совершить убийство, то этот человек должен быть наказан. 7) За совершение тяжких преступлений предусмотрено суровое наказание. 8) Подсудимая пыталась украсть картину стоимостью 100000 долларов. 9) Суд отправил его в тюрьму на 15 лет.
Task 4. Complete the sentences with the words and word combinations from the table.
| to change her plea from not guilty; properly punished; attempted to murder; courtroom; in agreement; commission of felony; act of stealing; to be incarcerated; permitted; judicial systems; admitted. |
(1) She was not ________ to make any phone calls before she was returned to the _______.
(2) The court has been informed that the defendant wishes ______________________.
(3) Are all parties __________?
(4) Some ___________ in this country coddle criminals.
(5) When, during the ___________, someone tries to kill in cold blood, we believe that person should be _____________.
(6) The defendant has _________ that she ________ one of the outstanding citizens of this community.
(7) The defendant shot him while in the _________ an art object worth half a million dollars.
(8) For the next fifteen years you're going _________in the Southern Louisiana Penitentiary for Women.
Task 5.Match the following English expressions with their Russian equivalents:
(a)
| 1. confession 2. to arrest 3. to be guilty of fraud 4. bankruptcy 5. to drive to suicide 6. to kill smb 7. to be under arrest 8. handcuffs | (a) банкротство (b) довести до самоубийства (c) арестовать (d) быть арестованным (e) убить кого-то (f) признание (g) быть виновным в мошенничестве (h) наручники |
(b)
| 1. police station 2. pimp 3. mugger 4. victim 5. sergeant-on-watch 6. to rape 7. attempted murder 8. armed robbery 9. bail | (a) залог (b) жертва (c) уличный грабитель (d) сводник, сутенер (e) изнасиловать (f) попытка убийства (g) дежурный сержант (h)полицейский участок (i) вооруженное ограбление |
(c)
| 1. court-appointed attorney 2. cell 3. desperate criminal 4. insurance claim 5. confession 6. investigation 7. dope 8. to put behind bars 9. jury | (a) заключить в тюрьму (b) страховое требование (c) расследование (d) признание (e) разг. наркотики (f) суд присяжных (g) адвокат, назначенный судом (h) тюремная камера (i)закоренелый преступник |
(d)
| 1. jail 2. to sentence 3. suspended sentence 4. record 5. to plead guilty 6. lawyer 7. commission 8. deal | (a) условный приговор (b) сделка (c) зд. совершение (действия) (d) приговаривать (e) юрист, адвокат (f) признавать себя виновным (g) тюрьма (h) послужной список, досье, прошлое |
Task 6.Complete the sentences with the words and word combinations from the table.
(a)
| arrest; to write out a confession; suicide; put it into bankruptcy; guilty of fraud; caused the death. |
(1) If he refused, she would threaten him with the gun and force him____________.
(2) She would take it to Lieutenant Miller, and he would _________ Romano.
(3) He had _____________ of her mother.
(4) The district attorney believes that my mother was_______________.
(5) You're going to write down how you stripped the company, _______________, and drove my mother to suicide.
(b)
| prostitutes, pimps, muggers and their victims; to rape; courtroom; sergeant-on-watch; handcuffs; police station; ordered held in jail; accident; authority; hearing; escorted; attempted murder and armed robbery; counsel. |
(1) The _____________ Tracy was taken to was in the Algiers district, on the west bank of New Orleans.
(2) The booking room was crowded with seedy-looking characters - _____________.
(3) Tracy was marched to the desk of the __________.
(4) The ____________ were removed.
(5) It was an____________. I didn't mean to kill him. He tried ___________me.
(6) You'll have a ____________in the morning.
(7) She _____________Tracy down a corridor and through a door that led into a________________.
(8) Now was Tracy's moment to explain to someone in _____________the truth about what had happened.
(9) The state is requesting that Tracy Whitney be held for ______________ and that bail be set at half a million dollars.
(10) Are you represented by_____________?
(11) You are _________, in lieu of five hundred thousand dollars bail.
(c)
| cell; desperate criminal; insurance claim; appointed by the court; confession obtained at the point of a gun; to hear this case; go to trial; put you in front of a jury; insurance company; put them all behind bars; start an investigation. |
(1) The name of the attorney _________________was Perry Pope.
(2) He walked into her _______and sat on the cot.
(3) You don't look like the average____________.
(4) Romano will put in an ________________for half a million dollars for the Renoir he's hidden away somewhere, and he'll collect.
(5) The ______________will be after you, not him.
(6) Didn't you realize that a _____________is worthless?
(7) I just thought that if I could get the truth out of him, someone would________________________.
(8) I'd give anything to______________________.
(9) If you____________, they'll bury you so deep you'll never see daylight again.
(10) I don't want to_________________, because, believe me, it will be his jury.
(11) If I can arrange for him____________, I'm pretty sure I can make a deal for you.
(d)
| jail; cell; pleading guilty; put you on trial; a three-month suspended sentence; a record; deal; expense of a trial; persuaded; sentence; probation; district attorney; suspend. |
(1) That afternoon Tracy was moved to a larger___________.
(2) There was no way she could have him telephone her at the_________.
(3) I've just left Judge Lawrence and Topper, the____________.
(4)_____________, you save the state the_____________.
(5) I've ___________the judge that you didn't steal the painting.
(6) Judge Lawrence will ___________you to three months in prison.
(7) He'll ___________the sentence, and you can do your _________out of state.
(8) But then I'll - I'll have___________.
(9) If they __________________for armed robbery and attempted murder during the commission of a felony, you could be sentenced to ten years.
(10) You don't have to take the________.
(11) She was probably lucky to get off with_____________________.
Task 7. Translate the following sentences into English using the words and word combinations from the text above:
(1) Вас представляет защитник? (2) Суд назначит вам защитника. (3) Штат обращается с просьбой, чтобы Трейси Уитни был вынесен приговор за попытку убийства и вооруженное ограбление. (4) Вам необходимо внести залог в размере 5 000 долларов. (5) Ближайший полицейский участок находится на соседней улице. (6) Она подошла к дежурному сержанту. (7) В регистрационной комнате находились сутенеры, проститутки, уличные грабители и их жертвы. (8) Сержант сказал снять с нее наручники и отвести в камеру. (9) Судебный пристав отвечает за порядок в зале суда. (10) Изнасилование - это тяжкое преступление. (11) Штат обращается с просьбой, чтобы Трейси Уитни был вынесен судебный приговор за попытку убийства и вооруженный грабеж или она может быть отпущена под залог в полмиллиона долларов. (12) Вы будете находиться под стражей вместо залога в пятьсот тысяч долларов. (13) Его преступление довело ее до самоубийства. (14) Ты виновен в мошенничестве. (15) Его признания очень важны для нас. (16) Ты довел компанию до банкротства. (17) Полиция арестовала преступника. (18) Я убью тебя, если ты этого не сделаешь. (19) Я хочу, чтобы ты во всем признался. (20) Адвоката, назначенного судом, звали Перри Поуп. (21) Этот человек - закоренелый преступник. (22) Он подаст иск о выплате страховки. (23) Я надеюсь, что полиция начнет расследование. (24) Я готов отдать все что угодно за то, чтобы заключить их в тюрьму. (25) Адвокат пришел к ней в камеру. (26) Я не хочу, чтобы ты предстала перед судом присяжных. (27) Судья Лоуренс будет рассматривать это дело. (28) Суд не примет признания, полученные таким способом. (29) Полицейский спросил, есть ли у нее судимость. (30) Тебе не обязательно соглашаться на эту сделку. (31) Судья вынесет условный приговор. (32) Если тебе что-то не нравится, ты можешь попросить другого адвоката. (33) Я хочу посоветовать Вам признать себя виновным. (34) Судья может приговорить Вас к десяти годам тюремного заключения. (35) Расходы на такой судебный процесс всегда очень большие. (36) Я смог убедить судью в том, что она не крала эту картину. (37) По просьбе адвоката ее перевели в другую камеру.
REFERENCES
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http://en. wikipedia.org
http://ru. wikipedia.org
http://dic. academic.ru/dic.nsf/ruwiki/488241 http://www. krugosvet.ru/enc/gumanitarnye_nauki/sociologiya/PRESTUPNOST.html http://www.xres.ru/viewpage.php? page_id=36 http://www.lawtoday.ru/razdel/biblo/krimnalogiya/012.php
Contents
Introduction 3
| Chapter I. WHAT IS LAW? | |
| Unit 1. LAW AND SOCIETY | |
| Unit 2. VIOLENCE | |
| Unit 3. HUMAN RIGHTS | |
| Unit 4. CRIME DETECTION | |
| Unit 5. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY | |
| Chapter II. LAW WORLDWIDE | |
| Unit 1. CENTRAL FEATURES OF THE BRITISH LAW SYSTEM | |
| Unit 2. U.S. COURTS | |
| Unit 3. THE JURY | |
| Unit 4. FAMILY LAW | |
| Unit 5.POLICE AND THE PUBLIC | |
| Appendix 1. CASE STUDY | |
| Appendix 2. SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS | |
| Appendix 3. FICTION CRIME STORIES |
* the intentional infliction of pain and suffering — преднамеренное причинение боли и страданий.
[1] The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement signed in Lisbon on 13 December 2007 that would change the workings of the European Union (EU). The treaty has not been ratified by all EU member states.
[2] Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty and AI) is an international non-governmental organisation which defines its mission as “to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated”.
[3] Статьи Конфедерации и Вечного Союза.