Английский язык в юриспруденции

Вариант №1

      Part 1

      Task I. Read the text General Information about the USA. Translate it in writing.  

    Общая информация о США

    Территория  Соединённых Штатов Америки простирается от Атлантического побережья через  центральные равнины и Скалистые  горы к густонаселённому западному побережью, и, далее к островам, на которых расположен штат Гавайи.

    На  данный момент население США составляет около двухсот тридцати девяти миллионов  человек. Американцев называют «нацией  поселенцев». Страна была заселена, построена и развита поколениями поселенцев и их детей. Много различных общественных и культурных традиций, этнических особенностей, расовых групп и религиозных культов сформировали американскую нацию.

    Соединённые Штаты Америки основаны в 1776 году. Конституция принята в 1787 году. С той поры было принято более 25 поправок к Конституции. Первые десять поправок известны как «Билль о правах». Конституция определяет федеральную систему правительства. Определённая власть дана национальному (федеральному) правительству, остальная власть принадлежит штатам.

    В наше время Соединённые Штаты  Америки являются федеральной республикой, состоящей из пятидесяти штатов, каждый из которых имеет собственное правительство, полицию и законы.

    Президент является главой государства. Он формирует Кабинет министров, который является исполнительной властью. Законодательной властью наделён Конгресс, состоящий из двух палат: Сената и Палаты Представителей. 
 

    Task II. Make up questions to the following sentences:

1. What does the President choose?
2. When was the United States of America found in?
3. How many states are there in the United States of America?
4. Does each of fifty states have its own state government, its own police and its own laws?
5. Who built and developed the country?

 

    Task III. Change the following sentences into the Passive Voice using the same tense:

1. A great part of work to finding missing and wanted persons is devoted by the police.
2. The guilt of the suspect has been proved by the investigating officers.
3. Sufficient physical evidence was presented by the witnesses.
4. A suspect is being looked for by the police.
5. The connection of the criminal with the offense was proved by them.

 

Task IV. Put the verb in the correct form:

     Mum was watching some stupid film after dinner, so she made me take Dad's tea into his study.  It was about nine o'clock. He was in a really mean mood.  He shouted at me because I spilled a few drops of tea on his desk while I was pouring it.  I didn’t want to watch the film so I crept out by the back door.  I decided to go down to the village and use the public phone to call Alan.  He's my boyfriend. I have never liked Mum or Dad to be around when I am talking to him.  Especially yesterday, because Dad and I had a stupid argument about Alan the day before. It normally takes a quarter of an hour to walk to the village. Perhaps, it took less time last night.  I can't prove I went to the village.   No one saw me when I was walking into the village.  I saw Gerald, that's Dad s business partner. He was standing near the window in his sitting-room. He didn’t see me, though, because it was dark outside.  He was talking on the phone, I think. Alan didn’t answer the phone.  Then I remember he has told me he is playing in a concert that evening.  So I walked home again.   I met Gerald just before I have reached our house.  He was looking for his dog.  That was about twenty to ten.  I came in by the back door as quietly as possible and went to bed.  I didn't want to see my parents again that evening.

Part 2

Task I. Read the text “Criminal Justice Process in the USA”, find English equivalents.

Уголовный процесс – criminal justice process,

судебное  разбирательство – court process, trial,

обвинение – arraignment, charge,

обжалование – appeal,

произвести  арест – to arrest,

ордер – warrant,

совершить тяжкое преступление – to commit a felony,

тюремное  заключение – imprisonment,

подозреваемый – suspect,

правоохранительные органы – the law enforcement agency,

обвиняемый – defendant, accused,

снимать отпечатки пальцев – fingerprint,

картотека – the booking card, file,

уголовное судопроизводство – criminal court process,

мелкие правонарушения – petty offence,

суд низшей инстанции – summary trial,

слушать дело – to hear a case,

подвергать  уголовному преследованию – to prosecute,

признать  себя виновным – to plead guilty,

суд присяжных – jury trial,

вынести приговор – to find a verdict,

определить наказание – to decide on a penalty,

осудить условно – to place on probation.  

      Criminal Justice Process in the USA

      Basically, the steps in the criminal court processes are as follows: arrest and booking, arraignment, trial and appeals (if any). A person who comes into contact with the criminal courts must initially be arrested. The arrest may take place with or without using a warrant (e.g. when an offense takes place in the presence of the officer, or when there is probable or reasonable cause to believe that a felony or misdemeanor has been committed). After an arrest the suspect may be released without being prosecuted for a variety of reasons: mistaken identity, lack of proper evidence, etc.

      After the arrest is made, the suspect is booked. The booking card of the law enforcement agency contains information such as the date and time of arrest, the charge or crime for which the person was arrested, the name of the arrested person, the name of the arresting officer. Here the accused is photographed, fingerprinted, and temporarily released on bail, if possible. The record or booking card is permanently kept in the files of the police department.

      At arraignment, summary trials can be held for petty offenses without further processing. During the initial appearance before a magistrate's, judge or justice of the peace, the accused is to answer the charges against him. The initial appearance may also serve as the trial for minor offenses that have payment of a fine or a relatively short time in jail as punishment. Once the judge finds a verdict of guilt, the accused is sentenced to jail or payment of a fine. The defendant may also be placed on probation for a specified length of time. If sentenced to jail, he may be granted parole.

      Then another arraignment is held. If the defendant pleads guilty a date for him to be sentenced is set by the judge. If the defendant pleads not guilty, he may request to have a jury trial or be tried by the court without a jury. At the trial, if the defendant is convicted, a date for sentencing is set.

      Before imposing the actual sentence an investigation by the probation officer takes place to assist the judge in deciding on a penalty. The defendant may be fined, sentenced to jail, or placed on probation. During this period the defendant can appeal his conviction. As a rule, the appeal slays the execution of the sentence. If the appeal is unsuccessful or the defendant decides not to appeal, the penalty is imposed. 

Task II. Give the definitions:

      An accused is a person charged with an offense.

      A criminal is a person who is guilty of a crime.

      A defendant is an accused in criminal proceedings.

      A suspect is a person who is suspected of something.

      A convict is a person convicted of a crime by a judicial body. 

Task III. Find in the text above Participle I, Participle II, Gerund and Infinitive.

 

Task IV. Translate into Russian:

1. To know everything is to know nothing. Знать всё – не знать ни чего.
2. The problem to be solved is of great international importance. Проблема, которая будет решена, имеет большое международное значение
3. In order to begin prosecution it is necessary to have evidence establishing the fact of committing a crime. Чтобы начать судебное преследование, необходимо иметь доказательства, основывающие факт совершения преступления.
4. The criminal waited for the judge to commit a sentence. Преступник ждал, пока судья вынесет приговор.
5. The juvenile is reported to have committed a crime. Сообщают, что подросток совершил преступление.
6. While making the report the speaker told us some interesting facts. Выступая с докладом, спикер сказал нам некоторые интересные факты
7. Having examined the causes of the crime the court sentenced the criminal to imprisonment. Исследовав причины преступления, суд приговорил преступника к заключению.
8. Having been investigated the case was committed to the court. После следствия дело было передано в суд.
9. The hearing of the case being over, the judge closed the trial. Слушанье дела закончилось, судья завершил процесс.

10. The student knowing English well, the examination did not last long. Если студент хорошо знает английский язык, экзамен продлится не долго. 

Task V. Read the text Physical Evidence and render it in writing answering the questions:

1. What are the most important phases of a criminal investigation?

The finding, collecting and preservation of physical evidence are the most important phases in a criminal investigation.

2. What does the term 'chain of evidence’ define?

The term “chain of evidence” defines a process that must be followed when handling the evidence.

3. What types of evidence do you know?

There are three types of evidence: physical, circumstantial, corroborative,

4. In what way is circumstantial evidence different from physical evidence?

Physical evidence is something that is concrete and circumstantial evidence is a specific circumstance, which needs to be proved.

5. When is corroborative evidence very important?

Corroborative evidence is a very important when there are witnesses. 

Physical Evidence

   The finding, collecting and preservation of physical evidence are the most important phases in a criminal investigation.

   Physical evidence is of value only if it helps prove a case or clear a suspect. The most valuable evidence may be worthless if inefficiently handled.

      In collecting any object of possible evidential value an officer should keep in mind the importance of the following:

1. The possibilities of fingerprints being found on it.

2. The chances of certain pieces of microscopic debris, such as hair, blood, paint, fibers, etc., adhering to it.

3. How that article should be removed, marked, packaged and transported. Physical evidence is something that is concrete, something that can generally be measured, photographed, analyzed, and presented as a physical object in court. Circumstantial evidence is a specific circumstance. For example, a suspect might be accused of burglary, and the shoes he is wearing are proved to have made certain impressions found at the scene of a crime. The shoes and the imprint are physical evidence, while the fact that the suspect was wearing the shoes when arrested is circumstantial evidence. Someone else could have worn the shoes at the time the burglary was committed, therefore that type of evidence is circumstantial.

   If there are witnesses, the investigator needs corroborative evidence; if there are no witnesses, the entire case must often be proved through physical evidence alone.

   A lone piece of evidence, because of its great intrinsic value and the impossibility of being duplicated, may be sufficiently important to warrant a conviction — for example, a fingerprint. At other times it may be a combination of a number of articles of physical evidence, none of which are conclusive, "that proves the case.