It. There are several kinds of jurisdiction. “Subject matter

jurisdiction” (предметна юрисдикція (підсудність)) is the power of a court to deal with particular

kinds of cases. Monetary jurisdiction” (грошова юрисдикція (підсудність)) is the minimum

or maximum dollar limit on civil cases that a particular

court can handle. “Territorial jurisdiction” (територіальна

юрисдикція) is the geographic

extent (географічні межі поширення, географічний кордон) of a court’s power.

A court has territorial jurisdiction over civil cases when

the incident or transaction (. комерційна операція,

угода, контракт) on which the case is based

occurred (відбулося) in the court’s territory or, in some cases, when the

defendant (відповідач, обвинувачений) or the plaintiff (позивач, заявник) lives in the court’s territory.

In criminal cases, a court generally has jurisdiction

when the crime, or any essential (істотна) part or “element” of the

crime, occurred in the court’s territory.

Venue. Whereas (оскільки) jurisdiction refers to the power of a

court to try (судити) a case, venue refers to the place where it is to be

tried. Usually, venue follows territorial jurisdiction in both

civil and criminal cases. Venue can be changed in criminal

cases when the change is necessary to secure (гарантувати безпеку) a fair trial. A

change of venue might be granted (надаватися), for example, in the

trial of a particularly heinous crime (резонансний (жахливий) злочин) where publicity

(розголос) has inflamed (. збуджувати; збурювати) local public opinion against the accused

(обвинувачений).

UNIT 4

LEGAL PROCEDURE – 2 CRIMINAL CASES

How a Criminal Case Begins. There are four

common ways to begin a criminal case: (a) the filing

of a complaint (скарга) by a private citizen; (b) the return (пред’явлення ) of

an indictment (бвинувачення) by a grand jury (велике журі); (c) in certain

cases, a proper (належний) arrest without a warrant (. ордер (на арешт)), followed

by the filing of a complaint; and (d) the issuance (видача) of a

summons or citation (виклик до суду).

Complaint. A criminal case can begin when a

person goes to court and files a complaint that another

person has committed an offense (вчиняти правопорушення

(злочин)). The complaint

is followed by an arrest warrant or a summons (судова повістка) which

is served on the defendant (відповідач) by a peace officer (поліцейський). The

arrest or service of summons constitutes (становити, складати) service

of process which, as in civil cases, gives the accused (обвинувачуваному)

notice (notice) of the case against him.

The complaint in a criminal case is a statement (свідченням) of

the essential facts (істотних фактів) constituting (що становлять) the crime charged (обтяженим?). It

must designate (зазначати) the statute or ordinance (постанові) which the

accused is alleged (як стверджується) to have violated ( порушувати). A warrant

is executed (виконаний) by arresting the defendant and taking him

into custody (. взяття під варту). An officer can issue (видати) a summons (виклик) in

lieu of (замість) arrest if it appears (є явним) the defendant will come

to court without being arrested. A summons tells the

defendant when and where he must appear in court,

and is merely ( просто) delivered to the defendant without

placing him under arrest (арешт(ування)).

Indictment. A criminal case can begin with an

indictment. Like a complaint, an indictment is an

accusation (звинувачення). In general, indictments are accusations (звинуваченнями)

of felonious (злочинний) conduct (поведінки) against persons who have already

been arrested and referred (звертаються) to the grand jury by a

municipal or county court through a process called

“preliminary hearing” (. попереднє слухання). Grand juries, however,

do not have to wait for cases to be referred (передати справу до іншої інстанції), but

can make direct indictments. When this is done, the

indictment begins the case.

UNIT 5

TRIAL

The main steps in a trial include: selection of a jury

(добір присяжних); opening statements (попередні виступи;

вступні промови (адвокатів сторін)) by the attorneys; presentation

of witnesses (виклик (виставлення) свідків) and evidence (давання показань, на-

ведення доказів) (the complaining party

always goes first, and the defense (захист) next); closing statements

( кінцеві аргументи (адвокатів сторін)) by the attorneys; instructions by the judge to the jury

(. напутні слова судді присяжним); and deliberation (нарада присяжних) and decision by the jury (вердикт журі (присяжних)).

The Trial as an Adversary (змагальний) Proceeding. A trial is an

adversary proceeding (змагальний процес), that is, a contest (суперництво) between

opponents. Each party presents evidence and argument. The

judge’s function is to control the contest as a neutral referee

(нейтральний арбітр) and to rule on (контролювати) questions of law. The jury’s function is to

decide questions of fact ( вирішувати питання факту (злочину)).

Burden (тягар) and Degree of Proof (ступінь, рівень доказів). The fact that a trial is a

contest dictates (змагання, що диктує) the order in which its events proceed. The

initial (первинний) burden falls on the complaining party – the plaintiff (позивач) in

a civil case, or the state in a criminal case. The complaining

party must first establish that party’s case (доводити факт зло-

чину, обґрунтувати позов). If the

complaining party fails to establish a case, there is nothing

for the defendant to refute (спростовувати, заперечувати).

Different kinds of cases require (вимагають) different degrees of proof.

In most civil cases, the winner is the party whose position

is supported by the preponderance of the evidence (більша вагомість (пе-

реконливість) доказів).

This means that the decision must be awarded (. рішення повинно

бути прийнятим на користь) to the

party whose favorable (слушний) evidence (показання, доводи) carries greater weight and

believability (більша вага та правдоподібність), even if the evidence is only a fraction (частка)

more weighty and believable than the evidence favoring (на користь) the

other party. Plaintiffs (позивачі) who are seeking (просять ) an injunction (судова заборона) or other

extraordinary remedy (засіб судового захисту) have a heavier burden of proof.

They must establish their case by clear and convincing

(переконливий) evidence.