COURTROOM PHRASES

Language heard

in·

the courtroom and otber legal

~enings

contains many standardized

expressions and set

phr~es,

and their equivalents in the target language should be familiar to

the legal interpreter. After studyilig this list, you should be able to translate these expressions ·

. orally

and ·in writing withou(any

hes~tation.

Commands

As

jurors

you are

not

to

b·e swayed

by

sympathy.

Bail

should

be

continued.

Call

your next witness.

Can

you tell the

juiy...

?

Could you briefly describe

...

?

Gould you describe.the appearance

of

(a package, etc.)?

Counsel, lay a founQ.ation.

Defendant

will be remanded.

Don't

belabor the point counselor.

Don't

discuss the case.

Don't

volunteer explanations

of

your answers.

I direct the

jury

to

disregard. the statement that

...

Jurors

may

be

excused.

Keep your voice up.

Keep your own counsel,

don't

talk about the case.

Let's

have the charge conference.

Make

your application to Judge (

...

)~

May

the record reflect

...

May

I have it?

Members

of

the

jury,

you are instructed to disregard

...

Mr.

X will reduce the decibel level.

Please proceed.

Please raise your right hand .

. Please remain standing.

Please resume your seat.

Poll

the jury.

Remember, you are under oath.

Rephrase the question.

See

if

you recognize it.

Speak into the mic;rophone.

State your

full

name for the record.

The

following prospective jurors are excused.

The

witness will resume the stand.

Use

your common sense.

-155-

Will

the

defendant

ph~ase

rise.

Will

the

prospective

jurors

please stand.

Will

the

people

in the.well

of

the courtroom please stand.

Will

the

record

reflect that the witness has identified the defendant.

Will

you

call

the

first (next) case,

Mr.

(X)?

Would

you

raise

your

right hand?

Wo.t1;ldyou indlcate

...

1

Wouid

·

you

describe .. :.?

Would

you

point

{someone) out?

Would

you

look

at

...

?

Would

you

state for the record

...

?

Vfould

you

label that as (car, building,

etc~)?

Would

you

mark

that

with

an

"x"?

You

are

excused

..

You

can

proceed, Mr. (X).

You

can

resume

your

seat.

You

c~

answer

the question.

You

have

exhausted that subject, please move on.

You

may answer the question.

You

may

be

seated.

You

may

cross-examine, counsel.

You

may inquire, Mr. X.

You may .proceed. ·

You

may step down.

Requests

for

information

(requiring a yes

or

DO

answeo

Are

you

familiar with a device known

as

(a beeper, a cell phone, etc.)?

Are

you

familiar with

this?.

Can

you

tell from looking (whether it's yours, etc.)?

Directing your attention to People's exhibit (one, etc.) in evidence,

can

you tell the

Court

what

is

exhibit

(one, etc.)?

Do

you

retail

making

this

statement?

Do

you

recall this question?

Do

you

recognize that exhibit? .

Do

you

swear

that

this

is

a true and accurate statement?

Do

you

swear to tell the truth. the whole truth and nothing

but

the truth, so help you

God?

Do

you

swear to well and truly interpret these proceedings, so help you God?.

Do

you

solemnly. swear (or affirm) that the answers·

you

are

about to give, touching

upon

your

qualifi~tions

to serve as

jurors

in

this case now before the court,· will

be

the truth, the

whole

truth

and

nothing

but

the truth, so help you God? (oath to.prospective jurors)

Do

you

want the

jury

p'olled? ·

Do

you

wish to say anything before sentence

is

imposed?

Does

(the picture, etc. ) reasonably and accurately depict (the building, etc.)?

-157-

Does

that refresh

your

recollection?

Did

you

discuss (cocaine, etc.?)

Did

you

go

to trial

or

did

you

plead guilty?

Did

you

notice anything about (the envelope, etc.)?

Did

you

post

bail for (x's) release?

bid

you

advise (someone)

of

his rights?

Did

there

come

a time when

you

(left the house, etc.)?

Have

you

filed a notice (of appearance)?

Have

you

had

any involvement with (the criminal justice

syste~,

etc.)?

Have

you had occasion to

be

involved with (an investigation, etc.)?

Have

you ever been involved

in

(drugs, etc.)?

Have

you formed an opinion as to {the cause

of

death, etc.)?

Have

you reached a verdict?

Have

you read

the

pre:-sentence report?

Have

you received a copy

of

the complaint?

f{ave

you

retained a lawyer

or

has

one been appointed for you?

·

Have

you reviewed the pre-sentence report with

your

client?

Is

there

anything that would prevent you from serving fairly and impartially?

Is

that

your

testimony? .

Is

there

any reason why. sentence should not

be

imposed

at

this time?

Is

fi?le

excluded, your Honor?

Is

it

fair

to

state (that you were living together, etc.)?

Isn't

it a fact that (you were his girlfriend, etc.)?

Isn't

that correct?

Isn't

that right?

Juror

No.

(x),

is that your verdict? .

What

was

your state

of

mind. regarding the reliability

of

the iMormant?

Would

that refresh your recollection?

Would

it

be

fair to say (that you knew himlher, etc.)

prior

to that time?

Would

you

like the

jury

polled?

Would

you

like to

be

heard?

Would

you

like to say

any~g

on

your

own

behalf?

You

· and each

of

you, do solemnly swear

(or

affirm) that

you

will

well

and truly

try

this case

before

you, and a true verdict render, according to the evidence and the law so help

you

God?

(Oath

to

jurors

on

trial)

You

have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may

be

held against you in a

court

of

law.

You

have the right to consult your lawyer and insure his presence at your interrogation. If

you

want a lawyer and

can't

afford one, one will

be

appointed to you. Do

you

understand

each

and

every right that has been explained to you? Having all these rights in mind, do

you

wish

to

talk

to

me

now?

Requests

for

information

Have

you

been

threatened or coerced into pleading

guilty?

-158-

How are you employed?

How much schooling have you had?

How do

you

plead? .

How do

you

plead to the charge contained in cotint )? ·

How

do

you

-recognize that (exhibit, etc.)?

How

can

you

tell

(whe~er

you've

seen that exhibit before, etc.)? .

What

are

your

current duties?

What

h~ppened

_next?

..

· .

What,

if

anything, did you do?

What,

if

anything. did you say?

What

is

People's

exhibit number (one, etc.) for identification?.

What

is

the

Governmenfs recommendation? ·

What

is

your

current

assi~ent?

What is

your

immigratiqn status? .

What

were

the lighting conditions (at.that intersection,

in

the store, etc.)?

. .

What

were

the weather conditions that (day, night, etc.)?

Where

was

(the car, etc.)

in

relation to the (building entrance; driveway,-etc.)?

Requests

for

pennission

At this

ti.ril.e

· I

would

like to read (a letter, etc.).

Could

I have a

brief

voir dire?

Could we have a sidebar?

I

move

to strike

(th.e

answer, ·etc.). .

I would like

to

ac:t~e

the

court

(that' the. defendant

"is

. not

present~

etc.)

I would

ask

that

the

court instruct the witness (to answer yes

or

no,

etc~)

I would

ask

most respectfully, your Honor, for a ruling.

If

it please the

court

..

.

Let

me

call

your

attention to (that evening, etc.) ·

Let

me

direct your attention to (the picture in front

of

you, etc.)

May

I approach the bench?

May

I beg the court's indulgence for a moment?

May

I call my first witness?

May

I have the witness approach (the blackboard, etc.)?

May

I inquire?

May I publish these (photographs, etc.) to the jury?

May

it

please the court ...

May we approach?

May we

get

a ruling?

May we have a short recess?

May we see you at sidebar, your Honor?

Move to strike; there's no question before the witness.

Your Honor, may the jury be instructed

to

disregard (the answer, etc.)

-159-

Statements

At

this

time the defense rests.

At

this

time the government rests.

Criminal cause

for

pleading, U.S. vs. (

....

).

Each

count carries a (x dollars) fine.

(Ex.hjbit one; ·etc.)

is received in evidence.

(Exhibit one, etc.)

is

marked

as evidence.

I'

I;!

enter

a not guilty plea

on

your

behalf.

I'll

show

you

what

has

already

been

received in evidence as

People's

exhibit (one,

etc.)

handing

you

exhibit (one, etc.)

for

identification.

I

am

showing

you

(a cassette

tape,.

etc.)

I

call

your

attention to

(the

incident, etc.).

I

deny

your

motion.

I

don't

have any objection.

1

find

· that the government has sustained its burden aided

by

the presuniption.

I

have

a procedtiral matt_

er.

I

have

no further questions.

I

have

to reserve

an

application.

I

move

for

a directed verdict.

I

now

show

you

(a device, etc.}.

I

object

on

the grounds that (the answer was not responsive, etc.)

I

object

to

that; no predicate

has

been laid.

I

object

to

these self-serving statements.

I

offer

· government exhibit

n~b~r

(x ) into evidence.

I

remind

you !:hit

you

ar:e

still

under

oath.

I'll

rephrase

the

question.

I'll

show

you what has

been

111.ai:ked

for identification as exhibit (one, etc.).

Do

you

recognize that? · · ·

I'm

going to move to strike

that

answer

as

non-responsive.

I

said,

"Freeze!"

I

take

it

that (you were together, etc.)

I'~

address any application to

the

district court.

I

use

the struck

jury

method

of

picking a jury.

I

would

. submit that

they're

conditions

to

ensure

Mr.

X's

return to Conrt.

It

is

received.

Lawyers

may

exercise challenges.

Marked

as evidence.

Motion

denied . . ·

No

objection.

Not

that I recall.

Objection.

Objection to the form,

your

Honor.

Objection, your Honor, leading.

-160-

Ov-erruled.

Received

.

Received

in evidence.

Receive~

subject to connection.

Sustained.

.

Sustained;

rephrase

the

question.

(Tell

us,

etc.) to

the

best

of

your recollection.

·

That

was yotir

sworn

testimony.

The

comisel

is

mischaracterizing the witness' testimony.

The

Court

finds that

there

is

a facmal basis for the plea.

The

Court

is prepared to proceed

to

sentencing.

The

defendant acted knowingly and intentionally.

The

4efendant

admits

to

frequent travel

to

(the Dominican Republic, etc.)

The

defendant has admitted his involv:ement

in

the instant charge.

The

defendant

has

no

history

of

drug

or

alcohol abuse.

The

defendant

has

no

prior

convictions.

The

defendant is guilty as charged

in

the

inddent.

The

defendant represents

to

me that (he

is

a native

of

Puerto Rico, etc.)

The

defendant says

that

he

is sorry and remorseful .

.

The

defendant waives a public reading

of

the indictment.

The

defendant

has

not

made

his bail yet.

The

4efendant is being

brought

over by way

of

writ.

The

defendant is innocent

m:itil

proven guilty.

The

defense

has

no objection as to foundation.

The

-defense rests.

The

evidence is overwhelming.

The

evidence will

show

...

The

exhibit is accepted into evidence.

The

government objects

as

to the relevance

of

this document.

The

objection is overruled.

·

The

objection is sustained.

The

only

thing I have redacted is (paragraphs 3 and 4. etc.).

The

outburst was nonresponsive.

The

witness' answer was not J;esponsive

ro

the question.

We

'

11

take a break: for lunch ..

We

'

re

awaiting the execution

of

the documents.

Wheel

a (B).

You

are

entitled

to

have

a lawyer.

Yon

have

J?een

placed

on

probatiorJ..

You

testified earlier that (you were in the house, etc.).

You

testified·

on

din!.ct that (the car was yours,.etc.):

Yon

are

under oath.

-161-