Lesson 2

What is a court?

A court is a tribunal established to administer justice under the law. It may decide civil disputes or criminal cases. A court may award damages or administer punishment for crimes.

Courts vary in authority (or jurisdiction) from justice of the peace and small claims courts to the supreme courts of various states and the Supreme Court of the United States. State courts have power to decide cases involving state and local laws. Federal courts have power to decide cases involving federal law.

There are two different levels of courts: trial courts and appellate courts. A trial courts is the firstcourt to hear a dispute. Witnesses testify and presented information to prove the alleged facts. A trial court consists not only of a judge but also of lawyers, who are officers of the court, and other who is necessary for the court is operation. The words court and judge are often used to mean the same thing. While presiding over a legal action, the judge may be referred to as «The court» or «Your Honor».

An appellate courts sometimes reviews decisions of a trial court when a party claims an error of law was made at the trial level. In most canes, the decision may be appealed to the next higher court, including the state supreme court. The decision of the supreme court of a state may be reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Unlike trial courts, appellate courts do not hear witnesses or accept new evidence. They examine the transcript -the word-for-word written record of what was said at the trial. They also read appellate briefs (written arguments on the issues submitted by the opposing attorneys). Then the appellate courts listen to oral arguments of the attorneys and may question them about the case. Finally, the appellate courts decide whether, as a matter of law, the decision bellow should be affirmed (upheld), reversed(overturned), amended(changed), or remanded (sent back to the trial court for corrective action, including possibly a new trial)

New vocabulary:

Court-суд

trial court - судебное заседание

appellate court - апелляционный суд

to administer justice - вершить правосудие

legal action - судебный процесс

the Supreme Court - Верховный суд

to award damages - возмещать убытки

to administer punishment - применять наказание

to testify - давать показания, свидетельствовать, показывать

transcript - расшифровка (стенограммы)

brief - краткое письменное изложение дела с привлечением фактов и документов, с которыми сторона выступает в суде

to affirm - подтверждать

an officer - чиновник, должностное лицо, служащий

to reverse - аннулировать, отменять

to amend –и справлять

to remand - отсылать(дело) обратно на доследование, возвращать в первоначальную инстанцию

Ответьте на вопросы

1. What is a court?

2.What difference between trial courts and appellate courts?

3.What is transcript? Explain.

4. What functions perform State court, appellate courts, trial courts?

Напишите следующие существительные во множественном числе и прочитайте их:

Place, library, language, dress, fly, watch, clock, country, eye, bus, bush, party, ray, thief, company, Negro, mass, leaf, wolf, glass, key, fox, half, life, day, play, factory, city, colony, roof, month, opportunity, journey, shelf, hero.

Man, woman, tooth, foot, goose, child, mouse.

Postman, son-in-low, fisherman, schoolgirl, sister- in- low, textbook, pocket- knife, passer- by, statesman.

Напишите существительные, выделенные жирным шрифтом, во множественном числе, сделав, где необходимо, соответствующие изменения в предложении:

1. Put the box on the shelf. 2. I have hurt my foot. 3. This is an English dictionary. 4. Where is the knife? 5. This factory has a good laboratory. 6. The last leaf fell from the tree. 7. This story is very long. 8. The speech was very interesting. 9. He left the key on the table. 10. Where is the brush? 11. I like his new play. 12. The roof of the house was covered with snow. 13. The wife of the sailor came to the shore. 14. A copy of the contract was sent to St. Petersburg. 15. The cargo of the steamer consists of different raw materials.

Напишите существительные, выделенные жирным шрифтом, в единственном числе, сделав, где необходимо, соответствующие изменения в предложении:

1. Woman and children came to the shore. 2. The keys to the boxes were lost. 3. The wolves have been shot. 4. The mice were caught. 5. These factories produce furniture. 6. Copies of these letters will be sent to St.Petersburg. 7. The cargoes will be discharged tomorrow.