Criminal Procedure after Trial

If the jury finds the defendant guilty, the defendant receives a punishment, called a sentence. The judge usually determines the sentence. Sometimes the jury does so when it determines guilt. Sentences can include imprisonment, a fine, community service, and probation. Probation happens when the court allows the defendant to go free with orders to follow certain rules and obey all laws. If the defendant violates the terms of his probation by breaking a rule or law, the court can send the defendant back to jail.

Sometimes the court holds a separate hearing to determine a sentence. That is particularly true when the defendant faces the death penalty for first degree murder. In such cases, the defendant has a right to present evidence at the sentencing hearing about his character, background, and the circumstances of the crime to convince the jury he does not deserve the death penalty.

Sometimes a jury convicts a defendant and sends him to jail after a trial that was unfair. In such cases, the Constitution says the defendant may use a device called a writ of habeas corpus. The writ is a lawsuit the defendant files against his jailer. To win, the defendant must prove the government convicted him by violating one or more of his constitutional rights. If the defendant succeeds, the court orders the government to set him free.

Besides habeas corpus, most defendants can challenge their convictions by filing an appeal. In the federal system and most state systems, the first appeal to a court of appeals is a statutory right. If the defendant loses on appeal, his last hope is to appeal to the state supreme court or U.S. Supreme Court. In most cases, the defendant does not have a right to file such an appeal. Instead, the supreme court must agree to hear the defendant's case. If the defendant loses all appeals, he must serve his sentence.

The Fifth Amendment contains an important protection called the Double Jeopardy Clause*. It prevents the government from trying or punishing a person twice for the same crime. That means the government cannot hold another trial for burglary against the same defendant if it loses the first one. The Double Jeopardy Clause, however, does not prevent a different government from trying the defendant for the same crime. For example, if a federal court finds a defendant not guilty of murdering a federal law enforcement officer, the state in which the murder happened can hold a second murder trial.

* the Double Jeopardy Clause - Положение о недопустимости дважды нести уголовную ответственность за одно и то же преступление.

Слова к тексту 2:

1. to define - определять

2. to discourage [dɪsˊkʌrɪʤ] - зд. реагировать, бороться

3. a warrant [ˊwɔrənt] - ордер, предписание

4. an amendment - поправка

5. an exception [ɪkˊsepʃən] - исключение, возражение

6. self-incrimination - самооговор, дача невыгодных для себя показаний

7. a confession [kənˊfeʃən] - признание (вины)

8. to afford [əˊfɔ:d] - позволить себе

9. a line-up - предъявление для опознания

10. to appoint [əˊpɔɪnt] - назначать

11. preliminary - предварительный

12. to enter a plea [pli:] - вносить заявление

13. to set bail - устанавливать залог

14. to forfeit [ˊfɔ:fɪt] - терять право на...

15. impartial [ɪmˊpa:ʃəl] - беспристрастный, непредвзятый

16. to testify - давать показания в суде

17. to challenge [ˊʧælɪnʤ] - оспаривать, подвергать сомнению

18. a subpoena [səbˊpi:nə] - повестка с вызовом в суд

19. a burden of proof [ˊbə:dn] - бремя доказательства

20. a writ [rɪt] - предписание, исковое заявление

21. habeas corpus - лат. судебный приказ о доставлении в суд лица, содержащегося под стражей, для выяснения правомерности содержания его под стражей

22. a lawsuit [ˊlɔ:sju:t] - иск

23. statutory [ˊstætjutərɪ] - установленный законом

24. jeopardy [ˊʤepədɪ] - риск

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