Vocabulary notes

Celebrated	знаменитый, прославленный
to ruminate	размышлять
to con­sume	занимать
brain shrinkage	уменьшение мозга
delusions of grandeur	мания величия
to under­score	недооценивать
to eliminate	устранять, исключать
premeditation	умысел, преднамеренность
to follow lead	следовать чьему-либо примеру
requisite	необходимый, требуемый
pre­ponderance of evidence	перевес, превосходство доказательств
to squeeze	сжимать

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

Task 4. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is the Hinckley trial so important?

2. What does a "guilty but mentally ill" ver­dict mean?

3. What question should the jury focus on in the author’s opinion?

4. In what case would a defend­ant be found not guilty due to insanity?

5. What is the purpose of the new legislation on the insanity defense?

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

1. In virtually every trial involving the insanity defense, psy­chiatrists march in to support oppo­site conclusions.

2. The Hinckley verdict only under­scores the necessity of preserving the traditional insanity defense.

3. Ten states, while retaining the NGRI verdict, allow as an alterna­tive a "guilty but mentally ill" ver­dict.

4. I introduced a bill that would undermine the insanity defense in federal criminal trials.

5. Mental-hospital staffs can’t release NGRI acquittees.

6. The truly insane criminal is extraordinarily rare.

7. Traditional bills will protect Americans from terrible travesties of justice.

Task 6. Explain in English what the words and word combinations mean:

Celebrated trial, narcissistic personality, delusions of grandeur, premeditation, follow their lead, irresistible impulse, a reasonable risk, travesties of justice, to evade respon­sibility

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

1. In virtually every celebrated trial involving the insanity defense, psy­chiatrists march in to support oppo­site conclusions. A defendant was capable of the premeditation required to commit most crimes. Did the defendant possess the requisite state of mind for the charged offense?

2. If he knew what he was doing, he would be found guilty. A defend­ant would be found not guilty due to insanity only if his mental problems kept him from knowing what he did.

3. If Congress and the states adopt reform bills such as mine, which is supported by Republicans and Democrats, they will protect us from terrible travesties of justice. And if a patient doesn't like his medication, he may even go to federal court before he is compelled to take it.

4. No longer will highly paid lawyers and batteries of psychiatric witnesses enable the guilty to evade responsibility for their crimes. In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king. We owe respect to the dead; to the living we owe only truth.(Voltaire)

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