Danny Escobedo Goes to Jail

In 1960, a young Chicagoan, Danny Escobedo, was given a 20-year jail sentence for first-degree murder. Danny had confessed to complicity in the killing of his brother-in law after the police had refused to allow him to see his lawyer. Actually, Danny was tricked into blaming a friend for the liquidation of his sister’s husband, thereby establishing himself as an accomplice. Despite the fact that Danny later recanted his confession, he was found culpable and jailed. Danny had been stereotyped*as a hoodlum and nobody raised an eye-brow over the hapless*felon’s* troubles.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Proceeding on the premise* that the broker was guilty of _____________ in the swindle, the detective followed him surreptitiously.*

2. After the _____________ of the gang leader, a mammoth*conflict arose among his ambitious lieutenants who aspired* to be boss.

3. Once the incontrovertible* evidence was offered, the servant was held ___________ in the theft of the jewels.

4. When the clergyman refused to ___________, his superiors were so nettled* that they relegated *him to an isolated parish in Alaska.

5. Although he was judged as a minor _____________, the driver had actually played an integral* part in the planning of crime.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. complicity _____________ a. Deserving blame

7. liquidation _____________ b. Partnership in wrongdoing

8. accomplice _____________ c. an associate in crime

9. recant __________________ d. disposal of, killing

10. culpable ________________ e. withdraw previous statements

Today's Idiom: woolgathering – absentmindedness, daydreaming

When the young genius should have been doing his homework, he was frequently engaged in woolgathering.

15^th week / 2nd Day

New Words: abrogate alleged access invalidate preclude

Escobedo’s Lawyer Appeals

Barry Kroll, a Chicago lawyer, took an interest in Danny Escobedo's case. Kroll felt that his client's rights under the Constitution had been abrogated. Since the alleged ac­complice*, Escobedo, had been denied access to an attorney, Kroll asked the courts to invalidate the conviction. He pro­posed that lawyers be entitled to sit in when the police question a suspect but the Illinois courts rejected that on the grounds that it would effectively preclude all questioning by legal authorities. If such a law were upheld, the police felt that it would play havoc* with all criminal investigations.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. The manager was distraught* when he realized that the slugger's sickness would _________a World Series victory.

2. It is symptomatic* of some newspapers that an _______ criminal is regarded in print as guilty.

3. The wealthy uncle decided to __________ his inane* nephew's sinecure.*

4. The general was sure to ____________the court-martial's decision once he learned of the flagrant* bias* of the presiding officer.

5. Once the druggist had been duped * into opening the store, the addict gained _____________to the pep pills.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. abrogate _____________ a. admittance

7. alleged _____________ b. reported, supposed

8. access _____________ c. to deprive of legal force, to nullify

9. invalidate ^{___________________} d. prevent

10. preclude ____________ e. abolish

Today's Idiom to whitewash— to conceal defects, to give a falsely virtuous appearance to something

Although a committee was appointed to investigate the corruption, many citizens felt that their report would be a whitewash of the culprits.*

15^th Week / 3^rd Day

New Words: persevere, landmark, extrinsic, declaim, fetter

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30