Comprehension

2. Give detailed answers to the following questions

1. Was it easy for Jennifer to draw from Abraham information? How did he behave while speaking about himself?

2. What important decision did Jennifer have to make? What questions didn’t she know answers?

3. Why was Ken Baily becoming concerned about her? What advice did he give Jennifer?

4. Why did Di Silva give the Wilson case his personal attention? Was the Wilson case really important enough for Di Silva to handle himself?

5. Did Di Silva allow Jennifer to withdraw from Wilson’s defense?

6. Who was the presiding judge at Abraham Wilson trial?

7. What questions was Jennifer asked while fighting her way toward the entrance of the Criminal Court Building?

8. Why did Jennifer change her mind to fill the jury box with Blacks?

9. What did Robert Di Silva emphasize and never let the jurors forget when his character witnesses and the guards were testifying to Raymond Thorpe?

10. What helped Jennifer to place a goodie box in evidence as Exhibit A?

11. What was Abraham Wilson charged of?

12. What did Jennifer feel in the courtroom before the verdict was read?

13. Why didn’t Jennifer answer the journalist’s questions?

14. Why did Judge Waldman decide not to cite Jennifer for contempt?

3. Find evidence in the text to support the following statements

1. Jennifer was afraid of failing Abraham Wilson’s case.

2. The Criminal Court Building looked like there had been an accident and the central attraction was Jennifer.

3. Abraham Wilson was seated at the defense table and there was nothing about his appearance that could evoke sympathy.

4. Robert Di Silva outsmarted Jennifer while questioning the jurors during voire dire.

5. Jennifer was skilful in introducing Exhibit A.

6. It was unbearable for Jennifer to wait for the jury’s verdict.

7. Jennifer was the heroine.

4. Consider the following topics. Make use of the words and word combinations given in brackets

1. Jennifer’s preparation for Abraham Wilson’s trial ( to check for procedures and defenses, to force oneself to do smth, to have little personal life, the crimes of murder and manslaughter, voluntary and involuntary appellate court decisions, a brief, an affidavit, an exhibit, a motion, a transcript, to pore over smth, files on intent and premeditation, to testify, to put sb on the stand, to reveal smb’s background, to familiarize oneself with smth, to look over smth, to talk to guards, to interview convicts, to witness smth, to grab a quick sandwich, to lose weight, to have dizzy spells, to be entitled to a fair trial)

2. The House of Detention for Men, the largest and oldest jail on the Ricker’s Island (a prison mate, to await trial for felonies, murder, arson, rape, armed robbery, sodomy, to be transported in, an armed guard, counsel room, to be reserved for attorney-client meetings, an incredible cacophony, to be made of, a cellblock, to yell, to be assigned to, to bellow, to brush up against sb)

3. Jennifer's feeling on the day the trial of Abraham Wilson was to begin (to awaken, to feel tired and heavy-eyed, to fill with dreams of the trial, to put sb in the witness box, to be similar, to be strapped in the electric chair, to console, to have a premonition of doom)

4. Di Silva's opening statement (valuable time, to smile sympathetically, to be accused by sb of doing smth, to admit smth, to follow sb, to force oneself to do smth, to put sb away in a penitentiary, to prevent sb from doing smth, to execute, to commit murders for reasons, to pull the trigger, an intruder, a desperate criminal, to deliberately prejudice the jury, to overstep the bounds, to call for mistrial or reversal, to shake one's head, to nod, to frown, to applaud sb, to automatically look over at sb, to caution sb, to drill smth into sb, the air of defiance, to exude, to enrage)

5. Jennifer's speech (to address the jury, to feel one's hostility and impatience, to waste one's time, to keep sb in court, to take a deep breath, to look into one's face, a sign of sympathy or support, a defendant, to be charged with murder, to kill in cold blood and in hot blood, to kill in self-defense, to agree on one point, to ring with sincerity, in the passion of conviction, to commit in self-defence, to present solid evidence)

6. Jennifer's introduction of Exhibit A (to submit in evidence, to prove one contention of self-defense, to be at stake, to place smth in evidence as Exhibit A, to be on one's feet, to study the rules of evidence, to object to smth, to be immaterial and irrelevant, to have the inclination to do smth, to put into the record, to become extraneous, to overrule, to file an exception, to prepare smth for introducing the evidence, to be held in contempt of court, to bring up in the direct, to be admissible in the cross, to have a valid point, to leave the door open)

7. Abraham Wilson’s case (to be able to kill, a butcher knife, a pair of tongs, to threaten sb, to be forced to do smth, a witness box, to commit a murder, to lose one’s temper, to do one’s best, to be sentenced to death, a fair trial, to reach a verdict, a foreman of the jury, to read a verdict, to be unable to believe)