Task 2. Translate the sentences into Russian in a written form.

1. The trial was taking place in the venerable old San Francisco Hall of Justice on Bryant Street. The building, which housed the Superior Court and County Jail, was a forbidding-looking edifice, seven stories high, made of square gray stone. Visitors arriving at the courthouse were funneled through electronic security checkpoints.

2. Upstairs, on the third floor, was the Superior Court. In Courtroom 121, where murder trials were held, the judge’s bench stood against the rear wall, with an American flag behind it. To the left of the bench was the jury box, and at the center were two tables separated by an aisle, one for the prosecuting attorney, the other for the defense attorney.

3. The courtroom was packed with reporters and the type of spectators attracted to fatal highway accidents and murder trials.

4. The trial was now in its fourth week. The spectators and press had found the prosecuting attorney and defense attorney fascinating to watch. Gus Venable was dressed in white and Alan Penn in black, and the two of them moved around the courtroom like players in a deadly, choreographed game of chess, with Paige Taylor the sacrificial pawn.

5. Judge Young had slammed her gavel down. «Objection sustained!» She turned to the two attorneys. «There will be a fifteen-minute recess. I want to see counsel in my chambers.» When they returned to the courtroom, Judge Young said to the jury, «The jury will completely disregard the prosecutor’s last question.» She turned to the prosecutor. «You may go on».

 

Task 3. Fatal mistake?

1. Put the words below in order to make a newspaper headline: dead, pronounced, says, was, fine”, who, am, feeling, “I, woman.

2. The headline comes from a news story. Work with a partner and write five questions that you would expect to be answered in the article. Compare with another pair and add to your list.

3. Read the newspaper article below and look for the answers to your questions.

 

The woman who came back from the dead said yesterday that she felt fine as the doctor who declared her dead apologised. Dorothy Turner, who is still recovering in hospital, looked pale but was able to walk unaided as she appeared with her husband, Stan, at a news conference. She refused to comment on her experience and would only say, «I'm fine, thank you».

Her solicitor, William Evans, said that Mrs Turner, 61, had attempted suicide with an overdose of tablets at her home on New Year's Eve. Michael Lloyd, her doctor, wrongly declared her dead. Mr Evans said: «Dorothy and Stan Turner have had the opportunity of reflecting carefully over the recent traumatic events and the various options open to them. They have decided not to make any formal complaint to the Family Health Services Authority or the General Medical Council. They have also decided that they do not wish to institute legal proceedings. Obviously the doctor in question made an error of judgement, but luckily the error has not had fatal consequences».

He added: «The family are just extremely grateful and relieved that Dorothy is alive and making very good progress. Dorothy unfortunately suffers from epilepsy. As a result, she was not able to drive. Because of her increasing years, she was no longer able to walk into the village, some distance from her home. She felt very lonely and isolated and started to suffer from depression. On New Year's Eve it came to a head. She could not face going on She took a large quantity of her epilepsy tablets and also some sleeping tablets. She climbed into bed and just drifted off to sleep».

Mr Evans said Mr Turner had found his wife in the early hours of New Year's Day. He had called the ambulance service who arranged for a GP to attend the home. Dr Lloyd examined Mrs Turner and told Mr Turner she was dead. The doctor then called an undertaker.

John Thompson, the undertaker and a family friend, spotted a vein twitching, then heard her snore, soon after she was delivered to the hospital mortuary at about 4.30 am. An emergency resuscitation team was called and she was taken to an intensive care ward. After three days in intensive care Mrs Turner was transferred to a general ward. Mr Evans said that Mrs Turner and her husband wished to thank all hospital staff, wellwishers, and the undertakers for their «timely alertness».

(The Times)

1. Role-play. Present the described events in the courtroom as if you were Dorothy Turner or Stan Turner or Michael Lloyd or John Thompson or William Evans. Start your speech with the words «I swear to tell you the truth and nothing but the truth». One person in the role of the judge should pass a verdict.

 

2. Write either Michael Lloyd’s or John Thompson’s or Mr Turner’s witness statement about what happened.

A witness statement (a combination of facts, hypothesis and relevant details) is a report written to give necessary information about an incident to the police.

 

Outline for Witness Statements

 

Introduction set the scene (time – place – people involved)

=>

Development description of the main events and people involved, hypothesis and evidence

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Conclusion final result of the incident

 

Useful language for witness statements: I noticed, I could hear, I saw, it could have been, I think, it is possible, it is probable

3. Have you ever been a witness of any crime? Will you describe the events?