Law and order

1. The police
They do a number of things. When someone commits a crime (= breaks the law and does something wrong/ illegal/ against the law) the polite must inverstigate (= try to find out what happend/ who is responsible).
If they find out the person responsible for the crime, they arrest (v- bắt, bắt giữ) (= take them to the police station).
At the police station, they question them (= ask them questions to find out what they know) and if they are sure the person committed the crime, the person is charge with the crime (= the police make an offical statement that they believe the person committed the crime).
That person must then go to court for trial (n- xét xử).

2. The court
jury (n) hội thẩm đoàn, hội đồng xét xử; ban giám khảo
court (n) phiên tòa; tòa án
judge (n) thẩm phán
defendant (n) người bị kiện, bị đơn
lawyer (n) (= barister)

In court, the person charged with the crime (now called the defendant or accused (bị cáo)) must try to prove (v- chứng minh) (= provide facts to show something is true) thay they did not commit the crime. in other words prove that they are innocent (adj- ko có tội) (OPP guilty - điều sai trái, đáng khiển trách).
The jury listens to all the evidence and then makes their decision.

3. Punishment
If the defendant is convicted (v- kết án, tuyên bố có tội) of the crime (= the jury decides that the defendant is guilty), the judge will give the sentence (= the punishment).
For example, if a person is convicted of murder, the sentence will be many years in prison. The person then becomes a prisoner, and the room they live in is called a cell.
For crimes that are not serious (often called minor offences (n- sự vi phạm), e.g. illegal parking), the punishment is usually a fine (= money you have to pay).

I have never broken the law and committed a crime.
In Britain it is against the law to drive a car without insurance.
If you park illegally you will have to pay a fine (n- tiền phạt).
The police were fairly sure the man committed the crime, but they knew it would be difficult to prove it in court.
The jury must decide if the accused is innocent or guilty.
In order to reach their decision, the jury must listen carefully to the evidence.
If the accused is convicted of murder, the sentence may be at least ten years in prison.
He has been in trouble with the police once before, but it was only a mimor offence.

Will the police investigate this crime?
How will they investigate? What will they do?
Do you think the police will catch the two boys?
If they do, what crime will they be charged with?
Can the boys be sent to prison?
What do you think the sentence would be? Do you think this is the correct sentence?