Word List: Trials, Prosecution, Evidence, Acquittal, Conviction, Extradition, Cross-examination, Alibi, Interrogation, Eyewitness

Story:

The city was on edge. The police had been after a notorious criminal mastermind for years, and they had finally caught him. The man was known for his cunning and his ability to stay one step ahead of the law, but this time, the police had enough evidence to bring him to trial.

The trial was a media circus, with reporters and cameras from all over the world flocking to the courthouse. The prosecution called witness after witness, presenting evidence of the man’s criminal activities. The man’s defense team tried to poke holes in the evidence, but the jury was not swayed.

After a long and tense trial, the jury delivered its verdict – guilty. The man was sentenced to life in prison, but he was not done fighting. He filed appeal after appeal, trying to get a new trial. The higher courts denied his requests, but the man was not ready to give up. He claimed that he had an alibi for the time of the crime, and that the prosecution had suppressed the eyewitness who could have proven his innocence.

The man’s case was finally heard by the Supreme Court, and after a rigorous cross-examination of the evidence, the court agreed with the man. He was granted a new trial, and this time, the outcome was different. The man was acquitted of all charges and set free.

The city was in shock. How could a criminal mastermind like this man have been set free? The police were sure that he was guilty, but the evidence had not been strong enough to secure a conviction. The man left the country, and the police were unable to secure his extradition to face charges in the United States. He was free, but the memory of his trial lingered in the minds of the city’s residents.

Vocabulary:

1. Trials
   • a formal examination of evidence in a court of law to determine the guilt or innocence of an accused person
   • Proceedings, Hearings, Litigation
2. Prosecution
   • the act of taking legal action against someone who is accused of a crime
   • Accusation, Indictment, Persecution
3. Evidence
   • information presented in court to help prove or disprove the truth of a claim
   • Proof, Data, Testimony
4. Acquittal
   • a verdict in a criminal trial that the defendant is not guilty
   • Discharge, Exoneration, Clearance
5. Conviction
   • a verdict in a criminal trial that the defendant is guilty
   • Sentencing, Verdict, Judgment
6. Extradition
   • the act of sending someone who is accused of a crime to another country for trial
   • Deportation, Extraction, Ejection
7. Cross-examination
   • the questioning of a witness by the lawyer for the other side in a trial
   • Interrogation, Examination, Grilling
8. Alibi
   • a claim that someone was in a different place at the time when a crime was committed, and so