Text C. Appeals courts

1. The losing party in the trial court generally has the right to request an appellate court to review the case. In criminal cases, however, the constitutional protection against double jeopardy prevents the prosecutor from appealing if the judge or jury has returned a verdict of not guilty.

2. The primary function of the appellate courts is to ensure that the trial court has correctly interpreted and applied the law. A second function is to devise new rules, reexamine old ones, and interpret unclear language of past court decisions or statutes (Wheeler and Whitcomb, 1977). Because their role is not the same, appellate courts operate very differently from trial courts. No trials are conducted; no witnesses are heard; and juries are never used.

3. The appellate process begins when the appellant (the losing party in the lower court) files a notice of appeal. The appellant has several months to prepare a written brief explaining why the decision of the lower court was in error. The opposing party (the appellee) also has the opportunity to prepare a brief setting forth arguments that the original decision was legally correct and should stand. The case is then set for oral argument, during which both sides are allotted a short time to present their arguments.

4. In deciding issues of law, appellate courts operate as collegial bodies -that is, decisions are made by a group of judges. There may be as few as three or as many as twenty-eight (as in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals). Appellate judges often provide written reasons justifying their decisions (trial court judges write opinions only rarely). If the case is an easy one, the opinion of the court may be very short, perhaps a sentence or two. But if the legal issues are important and/or complex, the court’s opinion may run to dozens of pages. It is through such written opinions that appellate courts shape the law. Some legal issues are so close or involve such conflicting points of law that the judges do not always agree among themselves as to the correct answer. Those who disagree with the majority can write a dissenting opinion explaining why they think that their fellow judges have reached the wrong results.

5. If the appellate court finds that a legal error was committed (for example, illegally obtained evidence was admitted at trial) the court reverses and remands (sends back) the case to the trial court. This usually means that the defendant will be tried a second time. The chances of a criminal defendant winning on appeal are not very high, however.

5. Выпишите из текстов А и В эквиваленты следующих слов и выражений: разделять полномочия; гражданский иск; нарушать федеральные законы; обвиняемый; осуждать; подавать апелляцию в Верховный суд; жалоба; предъявлять обвинение подсудимому; назначать залог; признавать виновным.

6. Выпишите из текста 2 предложения, содержащие сказуемое в активном залоге. Подчеркните сказуемое и определите его видовременную форму. Измените предложения таким образом, чтобы сказуемое имело все возможные грамматические формы.

7. Выпишите из текста 2 предложения, содержащие сказуемое в пассивном залоге. Подчеркните сказуемое и определите его видовременную форму. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

8. Составьте резюме, используя образец стр. 27.

.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-26