The trial had been going on for weeks. The defendant pleaded not guilty, but the evidence against him was strong. His attorney filed an appeal, but by the time the court reached a verdict, it was clear he had violated the law. The police had gathered enough proof—he must have committed the crime knowingly. If only he hadn’t lied under oath, the jury might have been more lenient. The witness testified truthfully, but the defense attorney tried to cross-examine her aggressively. "Does she really understand what she saw?" he asked. The judge called for a recess before sentencing. By noon, the verdict would be finalized. The defendant admitted he had broken the law, but he wished he could appeal. His attorney told him, "You should have thought about the consequences before making that choice." The system must protect everyone equally, but if he had been honest from the start, his sentence might have been lighter. Now, he would have to face the punishment. The jury had decided—he was guilty. The judge said, "The legal procedures must occur as written." The criminal justice system had spoken.
Judge acquits suspect weakly
English
The judge announced his decision—the suspect would be acquitted due to lack of strong evidence. The prosecution had prepared a case, but the jury dismissed it after reviewing the documents. If only they had gathered stronger proof, the verdict might have been harsher. The man had served half his sentence before parole was granted, but now he was free. His lawyer wished the police had arrested him sooner. Should they have dismissed the case so early? The victim’s family was furious. They would rather he had been convicted. Had the evidence been stronger, the judge would not have approved his release. Now, he could flee the country. The police must be stricter next time. Would justice ever be served?
Confession Under Duress Inadmissible
English
The judge had granted bail, but the defendant chose not to post it. "Do you think he might waive his rights?" the officer asked. The defense argued that the confession was coerced under duress. If only the suspect hadn't confessed—now the evidence might be inadmissible. The officer had read Miranda rights, but the defense claimed they were violated. "Had the interrogation been conducted properly?" the judge wondered. The prosecution expected the court to uphold the confession, but the defense filed a writ of habeas corpus. "Would you have confessed if your rights were read correctly?" the lawyer asked. The defendant said he must have been too scared. She argued that the law was clear—if evidence was obtained improperly, it must be excluded. The high court would decide. "If the officer hadn't pressured him, he wouldn't have confessed," she said. The board posted the ruling: the confession was inadmissible. Now, the case would be set for retrial. "You have constitutional rights," the judge reminded him. "Did you pay your lawyer?" someone asked. The defendant sighed. "I wish I had money for a better defense."
Sample flashcards 20
የወንጀል ሕግ→the criminal law
ሕግን መጣስ→to violate the law
እሱ በማወቅ ሕጉን ጣሰ።→He violated the law knowingly.
የሕግ ስርዓት→the legal system
የሕግ ስርዓቱ ሁሉንም እኩል ይጠብቃል?→Does the legal system protect everyone equally?
የዳኛ ሂደቶች→the court procedures
እሷ ከፍርድ ቤት በፊት የዳኛ ሂደቶችን አልተረዳችም።→She hadn't understood the court procedures before the trial.
ግልፅ ማድረግ→to file an appeal
እሱ ግልፅ ሲያደርግ ፍርዱ የጨረሰ ነበር።→By the time he filed an appeal, the verdict had been finalized.
ፍርዱ→the verdict
ጉባኤው ከጊዜ በፊት ፍርድ አውጥቷል?→Had the jury reached a verdict before the recess?
የወንጀል ክስን መቀበል→to plead guilty
ተከሳሹ የወንጀል ክስን መቀበል ወሰነ።→The defendant decided to plead guilty.
ተከሳሹ→the defendant
ተከሳሹ �ላለማይቀበል ቢሆን ቀላል ፍርድ ይቀበል ነበር?→Would the defendant have received a lighter sentence if he had pleaded not guilty?
መሻገር→to cross-examine
ከምሽቱ በፊት የእርምጃ ምስክርን የተከላካይ ጠበቃ ይጠይቃል።→The defense attorney will have cross-examined the witness by noon.
ምስክር→the witness
ምስክሩ ወንጀሉን እንዳየ መሆን አለበት።→The witness must have seen the crime occur.
ምስክርነት መስጠት→to testify
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