Тема 17.3. Суд присяжных.

Грамматическая тема: Структуры: “I wish, had better, would rather”.

Study the words and the word-combinations.

laymen - неспециалисты

at random - наугад

deliberate – обдумывать

in secrecy - тайно

reach a decision - прийти к решению

reliance - зависимость

incompetent – некомпетентный

amateur – дилетант

administration of justice - отправление правосудия

jurisdiction - судебная практика

exempt – исключать

excuse - освобождать от обязанности

undue - чрезмерный

hardship - неудобство

commitment – передача

moderate - смягчать

elaborate - тщательно разработанный

screening – отбор

voir dire - допрос судом присяжного на предмет выяснения его беспристрастности и непредубежденности

trial counsel - адвокат, выступающий в суде

challenge for cause - отвод по конкретному основанию

likelihood – вероятность

bias – предубеждение

peremptory challenge - отвод без указания причины

hung jury - состав присяжных, не пришедший к единому мнению

mistrial - судебный процесс без единодушного решения присяжных

1. .Read the text.

Jury

Jury is a group of laymen who participate in deciding cases brought to trial. These laymen are recruited at random from the widest population for the trial of a particular case. They are allowed to deliberate in secrecy, to reach a decision, and to make it public without giving reasons. Throughout its history, it has been both overpraised as a charter of liberty and overcriticized as a reliance on incompetent amateurs in the administration of justice. Most jurisdictions exempt some groups from jury service: police officers, lawyers and doctors. All jurisdictions excuse jurors if the service imposes undue hardship. The commitment of important decisions to a random group of laypersons are moderated by an elaborate screening, voir dire, which is conducted by trial counsel before a trial. The law permits counsel to challenge prospective jurors either for cause (challenge for cause), if there is specific likelihood of bias or, for a limited number, to challenge them without having to give a reason (peremptory challenge). Criminal cases are brought by the state against a person or persons accused of having committed a crime. The state is called the plaintiff; the accused person is called the defendant. The charge against the defendant is called a complaint. The defendant pleads not guilty and the jury should presume the defendant's innocence throughout the entire trial unless the plaintiff proves that the defendant is guilty. In criminal cases the verdict must be unanimous, that is, all jurors (traditionally 12) must agree that the defendant is guilty in order to overcome the presumption of innocence. When they cannot agree on a verdict (termed a hung jury in the United States), the judge declares a mistrial, which means the case must be tried anew.

II. . Restore the word order in the questions and answer them:

1) Who in deciding cases brought to trial participates? 2) Who recruited at random from the is widest population for the trial of a particular case? 3) Who allowed to deliberate in secrecy, to reach a decision, is and to make it public without giving reasons? 4) Was jury as a charter of liberty overpraised? 5) Was jury as a reliance on incompetent amateurs in the administration of justice overcriticized? 6) What groups of people exempted from jury service are? 7) What conducted by trial counsel before a trial is? 8) What meant is by the term “challenge for cause”? 9) What meant is by the term “peremptory challenge”? 10) What cases are by the state against persons accused of having committed a crime brought? 11) Who is the plaintiff called? 12) Who is the defendant called? 13) What called is a complaint? 14) What the jury should presume if the defendant pleads not guilty? 15) What verdict be in criminal cases must? 16) What is by the term “unanimous” meant? 17) When the judge declare a mistrial does? 18) What is by the term “mistrial” meant?

III. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1) Jury is a group of professionals. 2) These laymen do not participate in deciding cases brought to trial. 3) These laymen are selected at random. 4) These laymen are not allowed to deliberate in secrecy. 5) These laymen reach a decision secretly. 6) These laymen make their decision public. 7) Jury is overpraised as a charter of democracy. 8) Jury is overcriticized as a reliance on competent professionals in the administration of justice. 9) Most jurisdictions exempt amateurs from jury service. 10) All jurisdictions don’t excuse jurors if the service imposes undue hardship. 11) The law permits counsel to challenge probable jurors for cause. 12) The law permits counsel to challenge suppositional jurors without giving a reason.

Ex.IV. Restore the word order in the following statements:

1) Jury a group of laymen is. 2) These laymen in deciding cases brought to trial participate. 3) These laymen recruited at random are. 4) These laymen are to deliberate in secrecy allowed. 5) These laymen are allowed to a decision reach. 6) These laymen their decision public without giving reasons are allowed to make. 7) Jury is as a charter of liberty overpraised. 8) Jury is as a reliance on incompetent amateurs in the administration of justice overcriticized. 9) Most jurisdictions police officers from jury service exempt. 10) All jurisdictions jurors if the service imposes undue hardship excuse. 11) The law counsel to challenge prospective jurors for cause permits. 12) The law counsel to challenge prospective jurors without giving a permits reason.

V. Translate the following words and phrases from Russian into English:

Неспециалисты; наугад; обдумывать; тайно; прийти к решению; зависимость; передача; смягчать; тщательно разработанный; отбор; говорить правду; адвокат, выступающий в суде; отвод по конкретному основанию; вероятность; предубеждение; отвод без указания причины; состав присяжных, не пришедший к единому мнению; отправление правосудия; судебная практика; исключать; освобождать от обязанности; чрезмерный; неудобство; судебный процесс без единодушного решения присяжных.

VI. Complete the following statements:

1) Jury is … 2) These laymen are recruited … 3) These laymen are allowed … 4) Jury is overpraised as … 5) Jury is overcriticized as … 6) Most jurisdictions exempt … from jury service. 7) All jurisdictions excuse jurors if … 8) Voir dire is conducted by … 9) The law permits counsel to challenge … 10) Criminal cases are brought by … against … 11) The state is called … 12) The accused person is called … 13) The charge against the defendant is called … 14) The defendant pleads … 15) The jury should presume … 16) In criminal cases the verdict must be … 17) All jurors must agree … 18) The judge declares a mistrial when …

VII. Choose one topic to speak about jury: a) its selection; b) its challenge for cause; c) its peremptory challenge; d) its verdict. Retell the text “Jury”.