Chapter 14
Common Law and the Jury
System
Pre-listening
Warm-up Questions
1)
2)
3)
Do you know anything about the U.S. jury
system?
Say something about the case of O. J.
Simpson.
Describe a Chinese court/trial.
Pre-listening
Vocabulary and Key Concepts
 Read through the sentences and
figure out what words would fit in
the blanks. Then check your
answers by listening to a dictation
of the full sentences.
 (See the sentences in the
textbook on page144---145 )
Pre-listening
Predictions
 Using the pictures in your
textbook and the vocabulary
exercises as a starting point,
write 3 questions that you think
you can get answers in the
lecture. (Answers vary)
Pre-listening

Note-taking Preparation
1.prelecture reading
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no
many Beth Whitehead-Gould
2
no
because of the nature of the law,
courts will be obligated to base
future decisions on decisions made
in this case.
Pre-listening
2. courtroom language
a. court reporter
b. judge
c. witness
d. jury
f. bailiff
g. plaintiff/ prosecutor
h. courtroom clerk
Post-listening

Answer the following questions.
1.
Under the U.S. legal system, is an accused person guilty
until proven innocent or innocent until proven guilty?
(Innocent until proven guilty)
On which legal system is the U.S. legal system based?
(British common law)
How many people are ordinarily on a jury? (6-12)
In a civil case involving property or contracts, who
ordinarily decides who is at fault and how much, if any,
must be paid in damage? (a jury)
In which kind of trial is the defendant required to testify,
civil or criminal? (civil)
2.
3.
4.
5.
Post-listening
In which kind of trial must the degree of proof be higher,
civil or criminal? (criminal)
7. What is a judge’s main responsibility at a trial? (to see
that the trial is conducted according to law)
8. What is the jury’s main responsibility? (to decide whether
they believe the testimony that here and whether the
evidence presented to them is valid.)
9. What percentage of all legal cases, both civil and
criminal, is settled out of court? (about 80%)
10. Why does the state so often allow accused people to pleabargain? (because it’s difficult to prove people are guilty
and because trials are so expensive to conduct.)
6.
Oral Activities
Discuss with your classmates
on the following questions.
1. Why do people say “trial cost a lot
money”
2. Summarize all the words related to
court.
3. Summarize the lecture.
Post-listening
Written Work
 Write a summary of the lecture within
250 words.
Homework
Film: Twelve angry men.