Understanding the Court System
- englishiseasierwithamal.com
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Understanding the Court System
Reading Passage
When someone is accused of committing a crime, the case may go to court. A court is a place where legal problems are discussed and decided. Many people work together in a courtroom to make sure the trial is fair.
The judge is in charge of the trial. The judge makes sure everyone follows the law and listens carefully to both sides. In some cases, a jury is present. The jury is a group of citizens who listen to the evidence and decide if the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
The defendant is the person who is accused of a crime. The defendant has a defence attorney (also called a defence lawyer). This lawyer protects the defendant’s rights and tries to prove that the defendant is not guilty.
On the other side is the prosecutor. The prosecutor represents the government and tries to prove that the defendant committed the crime. In some cases, there is also a plaintiff, which is a person who makes a legal complaint against someone else in court.
A witness is someone who saw or knows something about the crime. Witnesses give evidence in court. The bailiff is a court official who keeps order in the courtroom and is responsible for prisoners during the trial. A deputy may also assist the court and carry out official duties.
Crimes can be very serious. For example, murder is the intentional killing of another person, while manslaughter is the unintentional killing of someone. Arson is the crime of intentionally starting a fire. Kidnapping is taking a person away illegally by force. Other crimes include theft, shoplifting, assault, vandalism, and forgery.
At the end of the trial, if the defendant is found guilty, the judge gives a sentence, which is the punishment for the crime.
I. Match the words with their meanings:
Words:
1. Judge
2. Jury
3. Defendant
4. Defense Attorney
5. Prosecutor
6. Plaintiff
7. Witness
8. Bailiff
9. Deputy
10. Sentence
11. Murder
12. Manslaughter
13. Arson
14. Kidnapping
15. Theft
16. Shoplifting
17. Assault
18. Vandalism
19. Forgery
20. Commit
Meanings
a. A group of people who decide if a person is guilty or not.
b. A person who is accused of a crime.
c. The crime of intentionally killing someone.
d. A court official who keeps order during a trial.
e. The crime of intentionally starting a fire.
f. A violent physical attack.
g. A legal official who tries to prove someone committed a crime.
h. Damage to public or private property.
i. A person who gives evidence because they saw or know something about a crime.
j. The punishment given by a judge after someone is found guilty.
k. The crime of killing someone unintentionally.
l. The illegal act of taking goods from a store without paying.
m. The crime of taking something that belongs to someone else.
n. A lawyer who defends the accused person in court.
o. A person who makes a legal complaint in court.
p. The crime of taking a person away illegally by force.
q. An official who assists the court or carries out legal duties.
r. An illegal copy of a document, painting, or money.
s. The person who is in charge of a trial and makes legal decisions.
t. To do something illegal or wrong (for example, to commit a crime).
II. Answer the following questions:
1. Why is it important that the judge remains neutral during a trial? What could happen if the judge is biased?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. How is the role of the prosecutor different from the role of the defence attorney, even though both are lawyers?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you think juries are made up of ordinary citizens instead of legal professionals?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. In what situation might a person be charged with manslaughter instead of murder?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Why is a witness asked to swear to tell the truth before speaking in court?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. How does the bailiff help maintain fairness and safety during a trial?
__________________________________________________________________________
7.Why might shoplifting sometimes lead to more serious legal consequences than people expect?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. How could vandalism affect a community beyond just damaging property?
__________________________________________________________________________
9. Why is kidnapping considered one of the most serious crimes?
__________________________________________________________________________
10. What might happen if important evidence is not presented during a trial?
__________________________________________________________________________
11. How is a civil case with a plaintiff different from a criminal case with a prosecutor?
__________________________________________________________________________
12. Why do you think forgery is considered a serious crime even if no one is physically hurt?
__________________________________________________________________________
13. What factors might a judge consider before deciding on a sentence?
__________________________________________________________________________
14. Why is it important that a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty?
__________________________________________________________________________
15. How might committing arson put more people at risk than just the property owner?
__________________________________________________________________________
16. Why is assault treated differently from theft in the legal system?
__________________________________________________________________________
17. What qualities make someone a reliable witness?
__________________________________________________________________________
18. Why might a jury take a long time to reach a verdict?
__________________________________________________________________________
19. How does the presence of both a prosecutor and a defence attorney protect the legal system?
__________________________________________________________________________
20. Why do you think the law separates intentional crimes (like murder) from unintentional crimes (like manslaughter)?
__________________________________________________________________________
III. People in the courtroom:
Judge – Jury – Defendant – Defense Attorney – Prosecutor – Plaintiff – Witness – Bailiff – Deputy – Sentence – Murder – Manslaughter – Arson – Kidnapping – Theft – Shoplifting – Assault – Vandalism – Forgery – Commit
1. The __________ is the person who is accused of committing a crime.
2. The __________ tries to prove in court that the defendant is guilty.
3. The __________ protects the rights of the accused person.
4. The __________ listens to both sides and makes legal decisions during the trial.
5. The __________ is a group of citizens who decide if the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
6. The __________ saw the accident and gave evidence in court.
7. The __________ keeps order in the courtroom and announces when the judge enters.
8. A __________ may assist law enforcement officers and carry out official duties.
9. If someone is found guilty, the judge gives a __________ as punishment.
10. __________ is the intentional killing of another person.
11. __________ is the unintentional killing of a person.
12. __________ is the crime of intentionally starting a fire.
13. __________ is taking a person away illegally by force.
14. __________ is the crime of taking something that does not belong to you.
15. __________ is stealing goods from a store without paying.
16. __________ is a violent physical attack on another person.
17. __________ is damaging public or private property on purpose.
18. __________ is making or using a fake document or signature.
19. A person may __________ a crime if they break the law.
20. In a civil case, the __________ is the person who makes a legal complaint against another person.
IV. True or false. Correct the false statements.
1. A witness is someone who decides the punishment in a trial.
2. Manslaughter is the intentional killing of a person.
3. A bailiff keeps order in the courtroom.
4. Shoplifting is taking goods from a store without paying.
5. A prosecutor tries to prove that the defendant is guilty.
6. A defence attorney works for the government to send people to jail.
7. A jury is responsible for deciding whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty.
8. A judge listens to both sides before making legal decisions.
9. Theft and shoplifting mean exactly the same thing in all situations.
10. Arson involves intentionally starting a fire.
11. Kidnapping involves taking a person illegally by force.
12. A plaintiff is usually involved in a criminal case against the government.
13. Forgery involves creating or using fake documents or signatures.
14. Assault always results in serious physical injury.
15. A sentence is the punishment given after a person is found guilty.
16. A defendant is considered guilty before the trial begins.
17. Vandalism can affect the whole community, not just one person.
18. A deputy may assist law enforcement officers in their duties.
19. Murder and manslaughter are treated the same under the law.
20. A jury must carefully examine the evidence before reaching a verdict.
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