Unit 3 Discussion Points

Task 1. Discuss the following points with your fellow students:

1. The routine the courts treat drunk drivers to

2. Punishment drunk drivers should receive

3. The ways drunk drivers should be treated by general public and the judiciary

4. Drunk drivers are potential killers

Task 2. Give a short newspaper review on measures against drunk driving. Remember that your interview should appeal to the interests of the interested readers. It can be neutral, emotional, and descriptive. Prove your point of view.

Task 3. Work in pairs. Discuss any of drunk driving problems of today. You may speak about consequences of driving under the influence, the statistics of traffic accidents caused by drunk driving, treatment of druk drivers in courts, punishment provided for driving under the influence and so on. One of the students is supposed to introduce a subject of mutual interest; the other student disagrees or agrees with his partner’s point of view.

Task 4. Speak on the topic: “I’ve never driven and I’ll never drive under the influence of alcohol because …”

Task 5. Team work. Case Study: The following situations are based on real cases from the federal courts. Consider the arguments, and then decide how you would rule. Compare your answers with actual case results.

Vernon was charged with voluntary manslaughter for in­tentionally running over his mother-in-law with his pickup truck. His wife was the only eyewitness, and the law cannot compel a wife to testify against her husband.

The state put the couple's next-door neighbor on the witness stand. "Just after the crash," the neighbor testified, "Vernon's wife came run­ning up to my door and shouted, my husband just ran over my mom!’’

"Objection!" roared Vernon's lawyer. "If a wife eyewitness can't testify, her statements can't be put into evidence through another wit­ness to show that the defendant-husband may be guilty."

Would you allow the neighbor to testify as to what Vernon's wife said?

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