A number of people will be in the courtroom in addition to the judge and jury. The list below explains who they are and what they may be doing.
Plaintiff — In a civil case, the plaintiff is the party who initiates the lawsuit by bringing the case to court.
Defendant — In a civil matter, the defendant is the party who is being sued. In a criminal case, the defendant has been charged with a crime.
Attorneys — In certain cases, including criminal cases, attorneys representing the plaintiff, the defendant or the government are referred to as counsel. An attorney representing the government in a criminal case is called the prosecuting attorney or the assistant district attorney, and in some cases, the assistant attorney general.
Court Reporter — The court reporter records the official record of the trial by recording every word which is spoken. This record will be converted into an official transcript of the trial.
Court Clerk — The clerk of the trial part, also called the clerk, maintains the court files and preserves the evidence presented during the trial. The clerk may also administer the oath to jurors and witnesses.
Witnesses — Witnesses provide testimony, under oath, as to what they have seen, heard or otherwise observed regarding the case.
Interpreter — Interpreters, under oath, provide language interpretation for the court on behalf of a non-English speaking party or witness.
Spectators — Spectators are members of the public who are generally permitted to observe the court proceedings. Often spectators include representatives or the media.
Note:
per diem (лат.) — каждый день, ежедневно
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. Why the jury is an arm of the court?
2. What is the jury's job?
3. How prospective jurors are selected?
4. Who can be a juror?
5. What is the average length of a trial?
6. What is sequester and in what situations it is possible?
7. Does the juror receive his salary during jury service?
8. When is possible to report for jury service but not sit on a jury?
9. Who else can be in the courtroom and what are their functions?
Task 5. Study the text below, making sure you fully comprehend it. Where appropriate, consult English-Russian dictionaries and/or other reference & source books on law.
Famous American Trials. The O.J. Simpson Trial 1995
Orenthal James «O. J.» Simpson (born 1947) is a retired American football player, actor, spokesman, and convicted felon. He originally attained fame in sports as a running back at the collegiate and professional levels, and was the first NFL (National Football League) player.
In 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge and was separated from his wife Nicole Brown, to whom he was paying child support. On June 12, 1994 Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were found dead outside Brown's condominium. Simpson was charged with their murders. The pursuit, arrest, and trial were among the most widely publicized in American history. The trial, often characterized as «the trial of the century». Even foreign leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Boris Yeltsin eagerly gossiped about the trial. When Yeltsin stepped off his plane to meet President Clinton, the first question he asked was, "Do you think O. J. did it?" The trial culminated on October 3, 1995 in a jury verdict of not guilty for the two murders. The verdict was seen live on TV by more than half of the U.S. population, making it one of the most watched events in American TV history. Immediate reaction to the verdict was notable for its division along racial lines: polls showed that most African-Americans felt that justice had been served by the «not guilty» verdict, while most white Americans did not. O.J. Simpson's defense counsel included Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey.
Task 6. The word TAX has the following meanings in legal Russian: 1) налог; 2) облагать налогом; 3) таксировать, определять размер (о судебных издержках). Match the following English expressions with their Russian equivalents:
| (1) tax in kind (2) tax on land (3) ad valorem tax (4) buried tax (5) death tax (6) income tax (7) court taxes (8) back taxes (9) single tax | (a) налог, включенный в стоимость товара (b) налог со стоимости (c) недоимки (d) единый налог (e) судебные издержки (f) подоходный налог (g) налог на наследство (h) натуральный налог (i) поземельный налог |
UNIT 4. FAMILY LAW
ROLE-PLAY
Consult the cases in the end of the textbook and role-play on one of them. Choose the jury, the judge, the lawyer, the prosecutor, the witnesses. Use the active vocabulary from the Unit.
Unit 4
FAMILY LAW
Task 1. Study the text below, making sure you fully comprehend it. Where appropriate, consult English-Russian dictionaries and/or other reference & source books on law.
Family Law
Family Law is a specialized area of legal practice dealing with rights and duties among husbands, wives, and children. Family Law covers such aspects as
· getting married and Breach of Promise
· rights of married partners, separation
· ending a marriage, divorce
· rights and duties of parents to their children and of children to their parents,
· adoption, foster care, and guardianship, orphanage
· 
abusive family relationships
· family law for same sex partners
Marriage is a socially recognized and approved union between individuals, who commit to one another with the expectation of a stable and lasting intimate relationship. It begins with a ceremony known as a wedding, which formally unites the marriage partners. A marital relationship usually involves some kind of contract, either written or specified by tradition, which defines the partners' rights and obligations to each other, to any children they may have, and to their relatives. In most contemporary industrialized societies, marriage is certified by the government.
Marriage is commonly defined as a partnership between two members of opposite sex known as husband and wife. However, scholars who study human culture and society disagree on whether marriage can be universally defined. The usual roles and responsibilities of the husband and wife include living together, having sexual relations only with one another, sharing economic resources, and being recognized as the parents of their children. However, unconventional forms of marriage that do not include these elements do exist. For example, scholars have studied several cultural groups in Africa and India in which husbands and wives do not live together. Instead, each spouse remains in his or her original home, and the husband is a «visitor» with sexual rights. Committed relationships between homosexuals (individuals with a sexual orientation toward people of the same sex) also challenge conventional definitions of marriage.
Legal Aspect
Under the federal system of government in the United States, the individual states regulate marriage. Virtually all states require that individuals must be 18 years of age before they can marry. Persons below that age must obtain parental permission. To obtain a marriage license, most states require individuals to undergo a blood test for rubella and syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease. Many states also require a waiting period of one to five days between the issuing of the license and the wedding ceremony. The marriage must be formalized before a qualified official in either a religious ceremony or a civil wedding. The couple must register a marriage certificate with the government after the wedding ceremony.
Virtually all states ban marriages between certain blood relatives, such as between parent and child or brother and sister. All states prohibit bigamy—that is, a marriage in which either partner is already married.
Several countries have passed legislation to recognize homosexual unions. Such legislation generally refers to homosexual unions as civil unions or registered partnerships rather than as marriages. These unions usually do not entail the full array of rights to which heterosexual married couples are entitled. Four countries currently legalize gay marriage. They are Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. What does family law deal with?
2. What is marriage?
3. What does marital relationship involve?
4. What are unconventional forms of marriage?
5. What is marriage age in the USA?
6. What is necessary for a person to obtain a marriage license?
7. What kinds of marriages are banned in the USA?
Task 2. Render the following text into English
Брак — регулируемая обществом постоянная связь, как правило, между мужчиной и женщиной, как правило, основанная на личных чувствах и сексуальных отношениях, преследующая цель создания семьи.
Люди, состоящие в браке, называются супругами или супружеской парой. В браке реализуется естественная потребность людей в продолжении рода. Именно этим объясняется запрет на браки между, существующий практически во всем мире, — он связан с большой вероятностью получения детьми в таком браке наследственных болезней. Хотя, с другой стороны, браки, в которых детей не может быть ввиду бесплодия одного или обоих супругов, а также браки между мужчинами и женщинами, вышедшими из репродуктивного возраста, не запрещены, что указывает на более широкую функцию брака, далеко выходящую за рамки продолжения рода.
Как правило, брак подразумевает ведение супругами совместного хозяйства и наличие общего имущества, передаваемого по наследству, а также воспитание ими детей. Брак пользуется охраной и покровительством законов лишь при совершении его с соблюдением установленных в законах условий; влечет за собой известные юридические последствия в области личных и имущественных прав и обязанностей супругов по отношению друг к другу и к детям.
Ballou
Debate: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF CIVIL MARRIAGE
Give your own ideas on the following problems:
(1) What do you think about positive and negative aspects of civil marriage?
(2) How does legislation of different countries refer to homosexual unions?
Task 3. Study the text below, making sure you fully comprehend it. Where appropriate, consult English-Russian dictionaries and/or other reference & source books on law.
Divorce, or dissolution, as it is increasingly becoming known, is a legislatively created, judicially administered process that legally terminates a marriage no longer considered viable by one or both of the spouses and that permits both to remarry.
Aforetime because of the traditional fault-based view of divorce, almost every state divorce law required the plaintiff to prove one of a number of legislatively recognized grounds. Typical grounds had included adultery (almost universally); desertion; habitual drunkenness; conviction of a felony; and, most commonly used by divorcing parties, cruel and inhuman treatment. Because the state's interest in maintaining stable marriages was assumed, divorce suits could not be treated like other litigation. One spouse, the plaintiff, had to prove grounds even when both spouses wanted the divorce. Thus, divorce trials were filled with charges and countercharges and generally omitted investigation of the actual viability of the marriage.
By the mid-20th century, most state legislatures had recognized one or more no-fault grounds for divorce, usually consisting of a substantial period (from one to five years) during which the spouses had lived «separate and apart»; sometimes insanity or incompatibility were acceptable grounds.
The grounds for divorce differed from one state to another; thus, for example, before 1967 the only grounds for divorce in New York State were adultery. The difficulty of obtaining a divorce in several of the more populous eastern states, such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, eventually led to a substantial amount of «migratory divorce» in so-called divorce havens.
The system of migratory divorces was considered by many as discriminatory against the poor, who could not afford to take up residence in another state or travel to a foreign country in order to get a divorce.
In the mid-1980s, approximately one in three marriages ended in divorce. A growing number of expert observers conclude that this high divorce rate is due to a number of social changes. Among these changes are greater societal acceptance of divorce; greater financial and emotional independence of women; and, paradoxically, a greater belief in the emotional value of marriage, which more readily disposes disappointed spouses to divorce so as to seek a happier subsequent marriage.
In a divorce action, one spouse, usually the wife, may be granted alimony or maintenance payments generally for a limited period of time. The custody of any children may be awarded to either spouse, with equitable regulations made for visiting rights and support of the children. At present, joint-custody arrangements are being worked out more and more frequently by divorcing parents.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. What is divorce?
2. What was the tradition of divorce aforetime?
3. What did the USA do to maintain stable marriages?
4. What was the procedure for divorce in the mid-20th century?
5. What were the reasons for «migratory divorce»?
6. What are the reasons of growing number of divorces in modern times?
7. What kinds of problems can a divorce entail?
8. What should be done to make marriage more stable?
Task 4. Render the following text into English:
Развод — формальное окончание (расторжение) брака, кроме случаев, когда брак прекращается в случае кончины одного из супругов. От развода следует отличать признание брака недействительным в судебном порядке.
В современной России в соответствии c Семейным кодексом РФ развод (расторжение брака) может быть произведен по заявлению одного или обоих супругов. Важно заметить, что в современном законодательстве термин «развод» заменен термином «расторжение брака».
Развод через суд производится в двух случаях: при наличии общих несовершеннолетних детей или в случае отсутствия согласия на расторжение брака второй стороны.
Расторжение брака производится в органах ЗАГС (Registry Office) в случае взаимного согласия супругов, не имеющих общих несовершеннолетних детей. После подачи совместного заявления, заполняемого обоими супругами, назначается дата развода (не раньше чем через месяц со дня подачи заявления). Брак может быть расторгнут в ЗАГСе независимо от наличия общих несовершеннолетних детей в случае, если один из супругов признан судом безвестно отсутствующим; признан судом недееспособным; осужден за совершение преступления к лишению свободы на срок свыше трех лет.
Согласно исследованиям некоторых социологов, во время периодических спадов и кризисов в экономике той или иной страны число разводов обычно уменьшается. Это объясняется тем, что совместное ведение хозяйства позволяет супругам сэкономить финансовые ресурсы и, таким образом, в какой-то степени сохранить материальное благополучие. Так, например, в Испании, число разводов в 2008 г. уменьшилось на 12% по сравнению с предыдущим годом, что, по мнению социологов, объясняется влиянием мирового экономического кризиса 2008—2009 г.
MARRIAGE CONTRACT IN RUSSIA RESOURCES:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/
http://www.jurconsult.ru/services/marriage_contract/?page=family_law
http://www.advokats.ru/practice/tips/family-marriage/
Task 5. Study the information below and give your opinion on the problem.
Surrogacy
Surrogate motherhood has become one of the most difficult problems in modern family law. The term surrogate mother was first used in connection with in vitro fertilization in the late 1970s. The newest use refers to the introduction, by artificial insemination, of the sperm of a man whose wife is infertile into a woman who has agreed, often by contract, to bear the child conceived as a result of the insemination and then relinquish it to the couple after birth.
One argument against surrogacy is that it is little more than formalized baby selling. The counter-argument is that surrogacy is not baby selling because the husband of the couple receiving the child is that child's biological father. Many state legislatures are considering bills that would either make surrogate parenting entirely illegal or strictly regulate it, for example, limiting or prohibiting the payment of fees to the surrogate or to intermediaries. Most would require psychological counseling for the prospective surrogate mother, legal representation for all parties, and court approval of the contract.
Task 6. Render the following text into English:
Суррогатное материнство запрещено законом в Австрии, Германии, Норвегии, Швеции, Франции и некоторых штатах США. В Австралии, Великобритании, Дании, Израиле, Испании, Канаде, Нидерландах и в некоторых штатах Америки разрешено только некоммерческое суррогатное материнство, то есть суррогатная мать не получает за свои услуги вознаграждения, запрещена реклама суррогатного материнства в любом виде. В большинстве штатов США, ЮАР, а также в Грузии, Украине и в Российской Федерации суррогатное материнство на коммерческой основе законодательно разрешено. Семейный кодекс Российской Федерации гласит: приоритетное право решить судьбу ребенка имеет суррогатная мать. Права генетических родителей признаются только после отказа от него суррогатной матери.
Ballou
Debate: SURROGACY
Give your own ideas on the following problem:
Do we need surrogacy in the Russian society if there are so many orphans?
Task 7. Study the information below and give your opinion on the problem of adoption.
Adoption
Adoption, procedure by which people legally assume the role of parents for a person who is not their biological child. Adopted children become full members of their adopted family and have the same legal status as biological children. Although the majority of people who adopt are married couples, many single people also adopt.
Many people seek to adopt when they discover that they cannot give birth to biological children. Others adopt children to add new members to a family that includes biological children. Many people adopt simply to give a home and family to children who might not otherwise have them. Likewise, children become available for adoption for a variety of reasons. Some children are orphans. Some biological parents make arrangements for their children to be adopted because they cannot care for them due to illness or personal problems. Other children are abandoned by their biological parents.
Adoption is a common practice throughout the world and throughout history. However, laws regulating adoption vary from country to country. People seeking to adopt in a country other than the one in which they live, a process known as international adoption, should familiarize themselves with the laws of that country. Similarly, although every U.S. state recognizes adoption, state laws regarding specific aspects of adoption vary. Some states recognize adoptions by two people of the same sex or adoptions by a man and woman who are not married to one another.
Many states also allow the adoption of adults. Adults are usually adopted to ensure that they will inherit the estate of their adoptive parents. Some states preserve the rights of an adopted adult to inherit from his or her biological parents after the adoption.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. What is adoption?
2. What are the reasons for adoption of children?
3. What are the reasons of adult adoption?
Task 8. Find in the text above the English equivalents for the following words and expressions:
| сирота дети, брошенные своими биологическими родителями ознакомиться с законами | стремиться (пытаться) усыновить наследовать имущество усыновителей наследовать от биологических родителей после усыновления |
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