Example: A
humorous example of police officer
distortion occurred in the 1992
comedy film, My Cousin Vinny. In the film, a police officer questions a college student who has been arrested for killing a
grocery store clerk. The stunned(使目瞪口呆;使发愣) student, who at first thought that he had been arrested for shoplifting(入店行窃) a can of tuna(金枪鱼) fish, repeats in a dazed, questioning voice, "I shot the clerk?" In court, however, the police officer makes it sound as if the student confessed to the murder by testifying that the student asserted, "I shot the clerk." In real life, of course, police
distortion is no laughing matter.
Recording Statements Made to Police Officers
People who want to
cooperate with police officers but fear that the police will
distort their statements should at least insist that the police officers tape record the conversation or prepare a written
summary of it for the person to sign. The tape or
summary minimizes a police officer's opportunity to
distort at a later time. But there is a
potential downside(不利方面) to having the statement recorded. Once the words are on tape, a
defendant will have to live with(<口>承认, 忍受(不愉快的事)) them if the case goes to trial, rather than argue that the police got it wrong.
d. How Knowledgeable Am I About the Law Governing the Events About Which I'm Being Questioned?
People sometimes unwittingly provide evidence of their own guilt because they inaccurately believe that their
behavior does not amount to criminal conduct. They may think they are explaining their
innocence, while the police officers are using their explanation to amass evidence of a crime. For example, Moe gets into a fist fight with Curly, which results in a severe cut to Curly's head. A police officer contacts Moe, seeking his
version of the fight. Thinking that he acted in self-defense, Moe fully describes his
version of events. However, as the police officer interprets Moe's story, Moe used
excessive force, and the officer arrests Moe for aggravated assault(加重企图伤害罪). Had Moe more clearly understood the law, he might not have talked to the police officer.
关键字:
法律英语导读生词表:
- humorous [´hju:mərəs] a.富于幽默的,诙谐的 四级词汇
- distort [di´stɔ:t] vt.弄扭;歪曲,误报 四级词汇
- summary [´sʌməri] a.&n.摘要(的) 四级词汇
- defendant [di´fendənt] n.&a.被告(人)(的) 六级词汇
- version [´və:ʃən, ´və:rʒən] n.翻译;说明;译本 四级词汇