Vocabulary notes

reprisal	ответная мера
to scrub	подчищать
to instill confidence	внушать доверие
harassment	преследование
prosecutor	прокурор, обвинитель
complainant	истец
to withdraw a criminal complain	забрать иск, отказаться от возбуждения уголовного дела
trepidation	тревога, беспокойство
diffidence	неуверенность в себе, робость
lineup	выстраивание в ряд с целью опознания преступника

Task 3. Read the text again and make sure you know all underlined parts of the text. Give their Russian equivalents

Task 4. Read the text again and answer the following questions:

1. What is the message of this text?

2. Why do some witnesses to fail to cooperate. ?

3. Is it a crime to threaten a witness?

4. How do the police ensure that the complainant will attend all court proceedings?

5. What is one of the most widespread reasons for the trepidation and diffidence of witnesses?

6. What is a policeman most likely to tell the witness?

Task 5. Read the statements. Agree or disagree with them. Agreement or disagreement should be followed by some comment

1. The Judiciary system is able to protect huge numbers of citizens against crime.

2. The law can protect witnesses if they testify against the accused.

3. Harassment of witnesses can come only from the accused.

4. The holding of stolen property by the police is never employed as a lever to ensure that the complainant will attend all court proceedings to which he is summoned.

5. If the property were returned promptly to the complainant after the arrest, neither the complainant nor the property would be seen again.

6. In some jurisdictions, it is a felony to threaten a witness.

7. The average citizen doesn’t know where he’s supposed to report or what he has to do.

Task 6. Ask the questions to which the following statements are the answers:

1. This factor alone might be responsible for half the cases that have to be scrubbed.

2. It is still only a misdemeanor to threaten a witness.

3. The holding of stolen property by the police is employed as a lever to ensure that the complainant will attend all court proceedings.

4. A man whose TV set had been stolen sought to withdraw his criminal complain.

5. He couldn’t get his TV returned.

6. The average citizen doesn’t know where he’s supposed to report or what he has to do.

7. The court had taken it from him for five months.

8. They testify against the accused.

Task 7. Explain in English what the words and word combinations mean. Use them in your own sentences

Threat, to testify against, the accused, misdemeanor, to employ as a lever, to summon, to seek to do something, lack of, station house, victim, complainant, appearance, mess, abuse

.

Task 8. Practice the speech patterns given below. Make up two sentences of your own on each pattern

1. Harassment of witnesses can come not only from the accused but also from the prosecutor. Average citizen doesn’t know not only where he’s supposed to report but also what he has to do.

2. If the property were returned promptly to the complainant after the arrest, neither the complainant nor the property would be seen again. We are able neither to protect huge numbers of citizens against crime nor instill confidence in them.

3. A man whose TV set had been stolen sought to withdraw his criminal complain after he had made four court appearances as a witness — and still couldn’t get his TV returned. The man had his TV set stolen last year. Of every 100 American households, 8 had been broken into during the preceding 12 months, or at least a break-in attempt was made; 12 had money or property stolen from family members; 11 had property vandalized. Anyone who has had their home broken into and had precious pos­sessions stolen knows how devastating bur­glary can be.

4. The average citizen doesn’t know where he’s supposed to report or what he has to do. Witnesses are supposed to attend court proceedings and receive compensation. They are simply supposed to find the truth and let their verdict speak the truth.

5. What can we do to end the abuse of witnesses, to stop them from becoming victims of our criminal justice system? All those convicted of a second serious sexual or violent crime should automatically get a life sentence, to stop them from re-offending.

Task 9. Make the summary of the text. Use the key words and word combinations