Crime and Punishment

We finished last class with an interesting discussion about the latest scandal that has shaken the foundations of Catalan society, namely, the 'Félix Millet affair'. Millet, ex-administrator of the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, has been accused of embezzling a sum which has spiralled upwards to 10 million euros. It is a thoroughly juicy story, involving the rich and powerful, a century-spanning dynasty of aristocratic arts patrons, the seediest of political corruption and other soap-opera plot staples.

Let me give you a few words and phrases related to 'verdicts' and 'sentencing' within the legal context of the UK, which I am sure will prove very useful for further discusion of the Millet case:

If you are suspected of having commited a crime, you can be arrested and detained in police custody for up to 36 hours before a decision is made about whether or not to charge you. If you're charged with a crime, you are then asked whether you are going to plead guilty or not guilty. If you plead guilty, you're not then normally needed in court - unless you have committed a serious crime. If you plead not guilty, you will usually be released on bail - allowed to go free, provided you leave a sum of money to guarantee you will appear in court. There may be conditions attached to your bail.

Serious cases are usually referred to a Crown Court, where trial is by jury. The jury consists of  twelve people and they hear the case for the prosecution and the case for the defence before reaching their verdict. If you're found innocent, you are then released. However, if you are convicted of the crime you were charged with, the judge then passes sentence. The judge may decide there are mitigating circumstances and thus give a more lenient sentence. The maximum sentence is life - which usually means between 15 and 20 years. There is no death penalty in the UK. It was abolished in 1965.

Here is a link with more crime vocabulary in case you're interested:

http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blwordgroups_crime.htm