Legal Language

1. amicus curiae: a friend of the court; a lawyer or layman who advises the court on a legal matter

2. arson: the crime of setting fire to property in order to collect insurance

3. barrister: lawyer in England. A barrister practices at the bar, or court of justice.

4. embezzle: to steal money that was entrusted to your care.

5. extradition: turning over a fugitive from one jurisdiction to another. The root of the word is the Latin trachtio (“the act of handing over”)

6. habeas corpus: a court order requiring that a prisoner be produced to determine the legality of his imprisonment; a procedure that lawyers use to get clients out of illegal detention. In Latin it means “to have the body.”

7. immaterial: without substance; unimportant

8. incarcerate: to jail; confine

9. indeterminate: having inexact limits; indefinite

10. larceny: theft. Grand larceny involves theft in excess of a fixed sum, whereas petty larceny refers to a less consequential theft.

11. litigious: quarrelsome; given to carrying on lawsuits

12. miscreant: villain; criminal; evil person. The original meaning was “unbeliever” or “heretic.” From there it was easy to jump to “villain”

13. perpetrator: a person who commits an offense

14. plagiarism: passing off someone else’s writings or ideas as your own. The Latin word for kidnaper is plagiarus

15. probation: a period of testing or trial. This refers to a suspension of sentence on the condition that the convicted person demonstrates good behavior in order to stay out of jail.


Exercises

I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.

1. A prominent psychiatrist offers to help out in a court case
(perpetrator, larceny, amicus curiae)
2. The fire marshal suspects foul play
(probation, arson, immaterial)
3. Detectives fly across the border to bring back a suspect
(indeterminate, extradition, habeas corpus)
4. A scholar suggests that Shakespeare was not especially original
(plagiarism, incarcerate, miscreant)
5. The crooked bank manager fears the day when his books will be audited
(litigious, embezzle, barrister)
6. Sal was sentenced to five to ten years in jail
(probation, indeterminate, larceny)
7. The teacher quickly recognized that Gary’s report was beyond his capacity
(larceny, immaterial, plagiarism)
8. The jury found the defendant guilty as charged
(barrister, litigious, miscreant)
9. The bank officer suddenly acquired unexplainable wealth
(litigious, embezzle, incarcerate)
10. Enid made a proposal that had no connection to the problem
(immaterial, probation, extradition)


II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1. Burning down a building is an act of larceny.
____ 2. Litigious people provide a good income for lawyers
____ 3. An alert lawyer can use a write of habeas corpus to keep his client out of jail before charges are brought against him.
____ 4. When you embezzle funds you misuse money that has been entrusted to you.
____ 5. That which is immaterial is usually critical in any court case.
____ 6. A miscreant is likely to be involved in grand larceny
____ 7. Probation is an investigative procedure to determine if a crime has been committed
____ 8. A perpetrator is someone who betrays his country
____ 9. A barrister would likely be familiar with court procedure
____ 10. A person guilty of arson could sometimes be charged with murder.

III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below

1. Anyone who believes “there is a little ___________ in everyone’s heart” is merely trying to rationalize his own failing.
2. The rigorous _____________ period was intended to discourage unsuitable applicants
3. Murder was added to the ________________ change when the firemen discovered a body in the burned out structure
4. The terrorist sought refuge in a country where he believed he would be free from _____________.
5. ____________ may not be punishable by a prison sentence but it can cost a pretty penny and ruin a reputation.
6. The unexpected appearance of a(n) ________________ gave the prosecution the impetus to follow through to a guilty verdict.
7. The British _____________ may sound more sophisticated but he is in reality the same as a U.S. lawyer
8. Paul, ever the romantic, told Peggy she was guilty of ________________ for she had stolen his heart.
9. It is hard to believe that the club treasurer would _______________ the money entrusted to him.
10. The police collared the ______________ but lacked witnesses or evidence to get an indictment.

IV.What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?

1. important ____________________
2. release ____________________
3. forgiving ____________________
4. precise ____________________
5. paragon ____________________
6. reimburse ____________________
7. benefactor ____________________
8. easy-going ____________________
9. definite ____________________
10. liberate ____________________

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