英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

【英语语言学习】免罪

时间:2016-09-22 05:38来源:互联网 提供网友:yajing   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)
CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:
 
This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Celeste Headlee in Washington. In the summer of 2002, Brian Banks was a promising1 high school football player with a verbal agreement to play college ball on a scholarship at USC. But when another student accused him of rape2, that all changed.
 
He was arrested, charged, and then facing a potential term of 41 years to life, he accepted a plea bargain and served five years behind bars. But then his accuser admitted she lied about the rape, and Banks was exonerated3. Earlier this month, the Atlanta Falcons4 signed him to play professional football.
 
According to the National Registry of Exonerations, Banks is one of more than 1,000 individuals exonerated in the U.S. After a wrongful conviction, the lives of both the accused and the victim of the original crime are permanently6 altered.
 
So if you or someone else you know was exonerated, or if you were the victim of a crime in a case that's resulted in exoneration5, we want to hear from you. Tell us your story. Our phone number is 800-989-8255. The email address is [email protected]. Or just go to our website, npr.org, and then click on TALK OF THE NATION to join our conversation here.
 
Later on in the program we're going to explain what bitcoins are and how they work, but first, Shareef Cousin was served on death row at the age of 16 for a murder he did not commit. He served several years in Louisiana's Angola prison before he was exonerated. And he joins us now by smartphone from New Orleans. Welcome back to the program, Shareef.
 
SHAREEF COUSIN: Thank you.
 
HEADLEE: So going back - I mean I certainly don't want to take you back to a traumatic period, but tell us how one could possibly end up on death row if you didn't commit the crime. How does that happen?
 
COUSIN: Well, I think it is several factors. I think the most important factor that we cannot turn a blind eye to is that - the character of race, especially here in New Orleans. Anytime that there is a white victim who is murdered, it is more than likely that whoever is convicted of murdering that white victim is going to be sentenced to death. They're going to seek the death penalty in more than a majority of those cases.
 
In my case, we talk about the French Quarters of New Orleans because that's where my murder happened at. Anytime that there is a murder in the French Quarters, let alone if it's a white person that's been murdered by a black perpetrator, then someone is going down for that crime, and someone is going down for that crime fast.
 
We're talking about a murder that happened over 18 years ago. I was 16 at the time of that crime. And a lot of times we hear the city, not just New Orleans but a lot of the big cities, they want to find things to have all the kids doing to keep them off the streets.
 
Here in New Orleans we have this what you call midnight basketball, that is from the New Orleans Recreation Department. Well, at that time I was playing basketball for the New Orleans Recreation Department at the time this crime happened. Unfortunately, it was a high-profile crime and someone had to go down for this crime fast.
 
And in my case, not only was I at a basketball game, but the game was even on videotape. We have a videotape of the game.
 
HEADLEE: Yeah, and it was your coach, as I understand, that actually drove you home at the time the crime was being committed. And you know, today we really want to talk about your life now, about what happens after one is exonerated because, you know, it's not like the happy ending of a movie, the lights dim and then everything's great, right? I mean, what is it like to have to put your life back together again?
 
COUSIN: I think that in my case, in my situation, I was very fortunate because I had a support system initially8. One my attorneys that represented me had taken a more personal approach to help me rebuild my life. So when I came home, I had a support system where I was able to live with one of my attorneys for over six months.
 
She was able to - her and her husband was able to help me get into college, help me find employment, just some of the basic things that helped me get my life together. But I'm only one out of nine that have been exonerated from death row here in Louisiana. And I can't say the same for all nine of us.
 
We have, when you come home, just like you've been at war. If you're a veteran in the armed services, when you are at war, you are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome9. And I think the country has all agreed to that. And so when a person's coming from war, our country makes sure that that person gets the proper counseling, the proper mental health treatment at the least to help that person to reintegrate back.
 
When you're coming home from prison, especially wrongfully incarcerated10, we're not getting that same treatment. So is that like some guys have turned to drugs, alcohol, homelessness. It's a wide range of factors that takes place on an individual when he's coming home. So I think that's one of the biggest things that we face coming home is mental health treatment.
 
HEADLEE: We're speaking with Shareef Cousin, who was sentenced to death at the age of 16 for a crime he did not commit. He served several years on death row before his conviction was overturned. You know, there are - over half of the American states have some form of compensation available for people who have been wrongfully convicted. That of course means there's many states that do not. Did you receive any restitution11?
 
COUSIN: Well, when I was first released, Louisiana was one of many states that didn't have a compensation law in place. So a lot of us were coming home without compensation. It was only like 2008, 2009 that the state began to compensate12 the wrongfully convicted for being on death row. At this time the max compensation was only $150,000 for a 10-year span.
 
It was only last year that our legislature has upped the ante to give us $250,000 for a 10-year span. But we have some guys that have spent 25 and 30 years in prison before they were exonerated, and the state is saying that your life is only worth $250,000 for a max of 10 years, which equals to $25,000 a year at a rate of $12 an hour.
 
So when we talk about compensation, I have say that because - so I'm going to say no that we don't have the proper compensation. $12 an hour? And so now I bring that back to what I was saying the first time, to race. You know, a lot of - the majority of our guys that have been exonerated here in Louisiana have been black men. So we have $12 an hour for a maximum of 10 years that were spending 30 years in prison.
 
So I guess our legislature is saying that, well, you're a black man. For 20 years, you probably wouldn't have been employed, anyway. So there's a big problem with compensation here in Louisiana.
 
HEADLEE: We're taking...
 
COUSIN: And to answer the question, I wasn't compensated13.
 
HEADLEE: OK, well, we're also getting phone calls from those of you out there listening. If you've been exonerated, or you're close to someone who has, we'd love to hear from you on the - getting back to life once you have been exonerated. And we have a call now from John(ph) in San Francisco, California. John, were you exonerated for a crime you did not commit?
 
JOHN: Yes, that's correct. I was exonerated. Mine was a theft case, and I served four years, eight days and - excuse me, four years, eight months and eight days on a six-year sentence. Long story short, I never had any prior arrests or convictions, not even a parking ticket or speeding ticket, college-educated white male, never involved in any kind of drugs or illegal activity.
 
And this was a theft case. A girlfriend who was sexually involved with the deputy district attorney, who I believe was jealous, got her to allege14 a theft that never occurred. And long story short, I served every day of the six-year sentence less the earned time because when I went up for parole, the parole board is not interested in hearing anybody claim that they're innocent.
 
And I was in a state penitentiary15, and I can tell you that the vast majority of the people that I served time with admitted their crime. It's actually not true that all inmates16 claim innocence17. Actually, that was not my experience. In all the facilities that I was housed at, I only met one or two people who ever claimed that they were factually innocent.
 
And so the parole board denied me three years in a row, even though I was never required to take any type of classes, like I said college-educated, homeowner, financially stable, professional person. So I had to serve every single day of my sentence until I was released on mandatory18 parole.
 
And later I was exonerated by the appellate court. The state appealed it to the state supreme19 court, and the state supreme court refused to hear the case, and they upheld the decision of the lower court.
 
HEADLEE: Well let me ask you, John, our focus today is on life after exoneration.
 
JOHN: Well, it's difficult because I've got a four year, eight month and eight day gap, roughly five years, that's hard to explain where I was during that time frame on a resume, for example. And because everything is the Internet, and the Internet catches up with you, you know, there are some newspaper articles about it back then when I was convicted.
 
And unfortunately no one goes behind, you know, these exonerations and cleans up the Internet from all the negative publicity20 back then. And so I was actually terminated from one of my employments because an employer found out about something, even though when I applied21 I answered the question truthfully because once you've been exonerated, you may answer the question have you ever been convicted of a crime, you may answer that no truthfully, even though technically22 I was by a jury, and it was later overturned.
 
HEADLEE: Right.
 
JOHN: So the other thing I found, you know, I'll take the comments off-air, is that even though this occurred, you know, literally23 15, 18 years ago in my life, people still don't believe you. There's a cop mentality24 out there. There's a lot of district attorneys, deputy district attorneys, police officers that once you've been charged that they will not apologize after you've been found innocent.
 
HEADLEE: No, that's pretty common. John...
 
JOHN: They don't want to make it right.
 
HEADLEE: That's John calling from San Francisco, California. Thank you so much for your call. And I want to bring in, right before we take a break, and then we'll continue the conversation, Sam Gross, who is a professor of law at the University of Michigan and editor of the National Registry of Exonerations. Sam, what we're hearing both from that caller, John, and from Shareef is that we - the system doesn't seem to be set up to help people who've been exonerated, although it helps people, as Shareef mentions, who actually did the crime. It doesn't seem to help those who were exonerated.
 
SAMUEL GROSS: Well, I'm not sure how good it is at helping25 people who have committed crimes, but it certainly is not good at helping people who have been exonerated. One of the ironies26 of the system for some people who are exonerated is that services that are available to people who have served their time and been released on parole are not available to people who have had charges dismissed because they weren't guilty in the first place.
 
HEADLEE: All right, we're going to continue this conversation after a break. If you or someone else you're close to was exonerated, or if you were the victim in a case that resulted in exoneration, give us a call. We want to hear your story at 800-989-8255. Or send an email to [email protected]. We'll be back after a short break.
 
We can say that National Public Radio has confirmed two explosions from the site of the Boston Marathon. That is all that we know right now. We'll have more news and details on that story as it develops on NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee. This is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.
 
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
 
HEADLEE: This is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee. And again, let me reiterate28 NPR has confirmed two explosions at the site of the Boston Marathon. That, at this moment, is all that we know. We will have more details for you on that story as it develops from NPR News.
 
But right now we're talking about life after exoneration. Larry Peterson served nearly 18 years for murder and rape, convicted before DNA29 testing. He was in his mid-50s when he was freed. And he told NPR's Robert Siegel he had prime years of his life taken away from him.
 
LARRY PETERSON: My children are grown, no chance of putting the marriage back together. I have to come out here and play catch-up out here in this world with all the modern technology. I'm lost when it comes to jobs today. You walk in, you use a computer to place an application. All of these things I have to learn.
 
HEADLEE: But the wrongfully convicted aren't the only ones whose lives change when the justice system fails. So if you or someone you know was exonerated, or if you were the victim in a case that resulted in exoneration, we want to hear your story, 800-989-8255. Or email us at [email protected]. Or you can go to the website, npr.org, and then click on TALK OF THE NATION.
 
Our guest, Shareef Cousin, served in Angola prison before his conviction was overturned. And joining us now is Jennifer Thompson. In July of 1984, she was raped30 at knifepoint in her home. Out of a police lineup she identified a man named Ronald Cotton as her attacker. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He served 11 years before DNA evidence showed he wasn't the rapist. Jennifer Thompson joins us now from member station WUNC in Chapel31 Hill, North Carolina. Welcome, Jennifer.
 
JENNIFER THOMPSON: Thank you.
 
HEADLEE: So what we're talking about is what happens after the exoneration. And I wonder what that moment was like for you when you were finally convinced it was not Ronald Cotton that did it.
 
THOMPSON: You know, I've really had a hard time coming up with words to describe that particular moment. And actually a lot of my memory of that moment is kind of lost, and it's almost like being swallowed in some kind of black hole because you - for 11 years, you know, you've known you were right. You've seen this certain image in your head.
 
I knew how to be a victim of sexual violence, like I knew how to do that. I mean, I had been that for 11 years. And then all of the sudden you're wrong. And now I became an offender32, and I was guilty of that. And whether it was not malicious33 or intentional34, it really didn't matter. I mean, it was still the same 11 years of Ronald's life were gone.
 
And so the guilt27 and the shame were paralyzing, debilitating35 and then fear. I mean, fear set in, and it just took a hold of me, and, you know, terrified that at any minute he was going to spring up behind any dark corner and want to set the record straight and, you know, hurt me or take something away from me.
 
We had both been the same age when I was raped and when he went into prison. And now he's walking out at 33, and I was 33. And so the reality was I knew what he had missed. And it didn't matter what we gave him or anything. You can't get back the years. And I knew that. And I just absolutely was convinced that he hated me because of it.
 
HEADLEE: And you spent a very long time not wanting to interact with him for that reason. But when you did finally speak to him face to face, what was that like?
 
THOMPSON: Well, it took about two years. You know, I had asked people, you know, what I should do, and people, you know, would kind of look at you and say, you know, he probably did something he never got caught for, you know, he's probably a bad guy. And so, you know, you somehow can, like, assuage36 your guilt by people telling you this.
 
And then, you know, the reality was I knew that I had to see this man. So it took two years, and we met in a small church not far from where I'd been raped 13 years before. And as soon as he walked in that room, and I just started to cry, he immediately gave me forgiveness. And it was the first time, truly, in 13 years that physically37 I could feel myself starting to heal.
 
And oddly enough, it would be the one person that I had learned to hate so much during that time that would teach me about grace and mercy, and it was the most amazing - outside of the birth of my children, it was the most amazing experience of my life, and, you know, we really talked about what had happened during those years and how we both had become victims of the system when it fails and both, you know, victims of Bobby Poole(ph), the man who had raped me.
 
And so when we start talking about, you know, victims in the system and when the system fails, I mean, the pool of victims is absolutely enormous, the people that get damaged.
 
HEADLEE: And there's also this knowledge, Jennifer, that, I mean, maybe you - I'm completely guessing here, but perhaps there was some measure of comfort to be taken, but the perpetrator of your own rape was behind bars. Now that's not true.
 
THOMPSON: There is that comfort, you know, for you as the victim. Now I have to say that this is kind of a strange kind of like, you know, what your first interviewer said, that you're the lucky one. And I was kind of lucky in the sense that the DNA test that exonerated Ronald Cotton also became a cold hit on Bobby Poole. So we did know who did it.
 
And we were very fortunate, too, that he was in prison at the time. Ronald Cotton was the one who really discovered it was Bobby Poole. And so Bobby Poole has died in prison. But this is a really important, you know, something to understand is that we had left Bobby Poole out on the streets for another six months after Ronald had been, originally arrested.
 
And Bobby Poole went on to commit many more rapes38 during that time. And so when - that's why when I talk about the victims, you know, that get caught up in this, it's just really large, and so every time we have an innocent person in prison, we have a guilty person not. And that's something that's really important for the listeners to understand and why getting this stuff right is imperative39 on lots of different levels.
 
HEADLEE: That's Jennifer Thompson, and we're taking calls and stories from those of you out here who've experienced either side, any side of this particular thing. Nick(ph) is calling us now from Fort Collins, Colorado. Nick, you yourself or someone that you were close to has been exonerated?
 
NICK: Yeah, absolutely. My father, Frank O'Connell(ph) spent 27 years in California prison for first degree murder, which he was eventually exonerated April 21 of last year.
 
HEADLEE: He was in prison for 27 years and then exonerated. And you were how old when he went into prison?
 
NICK: Four.
 
HEADLEE: Four years old, holy cow. So you missed most of your childhood with your dad.
 
NICK: Yeah, he missed all my childhood. We did a really good job of trying to maintain contact as well as we could given the circumstances. So it wasn't until I was about 18, and I could visit without restriction40, being that I had to have a notarized form from the legal guardian41 prior to that, that we really were able to, you know, strengthen our relationship and spend as much as we needed in the visiting rooms. But yeah, it was different circumstances.
 
HEADLEE: So Nick, you know, our focus today is really about life after exoneration, after supposedly the happy ending. What has that been like for you and your dad?
 
NICK: Well, I will say it's kind of - there's a lot of challenges that come along with it. On the one hand, absolutely you are ecstatic for the release. You're ecstatic for your freedom. And in the beginning months, there's a lot of excitement, and it's just a big whirlwind. And that starts to wear down.
 
We're getting to the point where we just - we're getting into almost a year since he's been released, and after the initial publicity and the excitement of the release wears down, and you start to get back to a little bit of a normal life, there's certainly challenges that face him still. And it becomes pretty apparent that to have a support system in place for these exonerees when they are released is imperative because essentially42 what the state does is when they release them, they provide them zero resources, zero support, and they're generally still fighting it. On many, many cases, they're still fighting and contending that the person's guilty even though it's been demonstrated and ruled in a court of law that they weren't fairly convicted in the first place.
 
So essentially they're homeless unless family, friends or the organizations that have worked to free them provide such support.
 
HEADLEE: That's Nick calling from Fort Collins, Colorado. Nick, thank you so much for your call. Yeah. Sam Gross, go ahead.
 
COUSIN: Can I add something?
 
HEADLEE: Uh-huh. Shareef, is that you speaking?
 
COUSIN: Yeah. What I want to say is that like the re-entry experience for exonerees, they mirror the same struggles and challenges faced by those that are parolees. You know, like all formerly43 incarcerated individuals, you know, even exonerees are alienated44 from traditional sources of help and support.
 
You know, like many other trauma7 survivors45, you know, even exonerees have a tendency to isolate46 themselves, you know, and we begin to avoid experiences that might remind us of the pain that we had to endure.
 
HEADLEE: Oh, yeah.
 
COUSIN: And, you know, just being wrongfully convicted, you know, when we do win our freedom, you know, often time not only are we penniless, not only do we find ourselves unemployable and dependent on others, but we even experience family friction47. We experience poverty. We experience depression, just like other individuals returning home from their prison sentences. You know, this is a combination for disaster.
 
HEADLEE: Yeah.
 
COUSIN: You know, some exonerees and formerly incarcerated, you know, result in homelessness, you know, self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, societal alienation48 and even going back to prison in some cases. And so a lot of times when we look at exonerees, you know, we don't take into the total picture that not only are we wrongfully incarcerated, but we're also formerly incarcerated individuals.
 
You know, there is like a - there is like almost no distinction. We think that when you're exonerated, you do go home, that that's the end of your life. No. That's only the beginning of your life. And in a lot of situations, not only there's no support for exonerees, the wrongfully convicted, there are no support systems established for just formerly incarcerated.
 
HEADLEE: Right.
 
COUSIN: So, you know, there's really no separation in this area right here.
 
HEADLEE: That's Shareef Cousin, who was sentenced to death at the age of 16 for a crime he did not commit. Sam Gross, let me take this to you, professor of law at the University of Michigan. You run the - or edit the National Registry of Exonerations, which catalogs known exonerations, and you've done it since 1989. How many exonerated people are there currently living in the U.S.?
 
GROSS: Well, I actually haven't done it since 1989.
 
HEADLEE: Oh, I see.
 
GROSS: The registry covers exonerations that occurred since 1989. The registry has only been in existence for almost a year now, and our purpose is to try to collect and make available information on as many exonerations as we can.
 
We - I am familiar with the story of Mr. O'Connell's father, Frank O'Connell, and it's a terribly disturbing, you know, tragic49 story. He didn't mention it, but part of the reason for his conviction was that the detectives who were investigating the case essentially pressured the - a witness who said he could not see who the gunman was, to say that the gunman was Nick's father.
 
HEADLEE: Yeah.
 
GROSS: And that didn't become apparent until many years later. And there are many stories like that. There are probably many more than we know about. When we first released the registry in May of last year, we had 891 exonerations. As of today, it's 1,096, more than 200 more, and most of those are new cases that occurred. About 65 of them, perhaps, are cases that have occurred in that interval50, maybe fewer than that.
 
Most of them are old cases that we're finding out about by doing more research, by publicizing our existence so people write in and tell us about cases that we didn't know about. The - one of the main purposes of creating this resource and this - and the website that we maintain is to let people know that there is a place where this information can be obtained and where they can let us know so we can begin to learn about these tragic mistakes and, with any luck, learn not to repeat them as often.
 
HEADLEE: You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. And we're talking about life after exoneration, which includes many, many people, as Jennifer Thompson has pointed51 out. You just heard Sam Gross, professor of law at the University of Michigan. Jennifer Thompson actually identified a man as her rapist in 1984. That man was then exonerated 11 years later.
 
And, Jennifer, I wonder what would change if we did. I mean, would it be easier for you to get over what happened, to move on, if the system were better prepared to help out exonerees, if it were better prepared to help out Ronald Cotton?
 
THOMPSON: Oh, absolutely, because, you know, I do work with a lot of exonerees now, I also work with victims when they, you know, discover that the person that they ID'ed or the family members that, you know, they thought that killed their loved one, the guilt that they suffer and the shame that they suffer.
 
And it's - it truly is reopening, like, all the pain and the trauma and the hurt and the fears and everything that you thought that you had worked through. It just starts all over again. But then on top of that, the reality is that you know that you somehow, you know, were a part of taking away someone's life and their freedom and changing their families.
 
And so if we had something in place that we knew could assist these men and women, which is the least that we owe them - I mean, we've taken them away and locked them up and almost killed them, and God knows what else they've suffered when they were in prison, for the 10, 12, 30, 38 years that they were locked away. It's the least that we owe them.
 
And a lot of these men and women aren't even getting a simple apology. The system isn't even looking at them saying we recognize we've made a mistake that you were an innocent person.
 
HEADLEE: Well, let me take that to Shareef, did anyone in law enforcement or anyone in the criminal justice system ever say to you, Shareef, I'm sorry?
 
COUSIN: No. That has never happened. No, it has never happened in my situation. And I think this, you know, just the thought of that there is no "systematic52 approach" to help an exoneree to, you know, reintegrate by the community and get their life together are here in New Orleans. Our organization that I co-founded, Resurrection After Exoneration. We are the only organization in the state, as a matter of fact, the only organization in the world that is ran by death row exonerees and we provide basic, you know, transitional housing for the wrongfully convicted. There is no other organization in the country that's providing that service to exonerees.
 
HEADLEE: Right.
 
COUSIN: We make sure our fellow comrades get counseling, get mentoring53. You know, we thought that we have to actually help ourselves because we're going to wait on a system to do something to help us then we might as well have been executed.
 
HEADLEE: Ok. We're going to continue with Shareef Cousin in just a moment. Thanks to Jennifer Thompson joining us from member station WUNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Sam Gross of the University of Michigan joined us by phone from in office in Ann Arbor54 in Michigan. This is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee.
 
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
 
HEADLEE: In the meantime, though, we continue with our conversation about life after exoneration. With us from a smartphone in New Orleans is Shareef Cousin who was sentenced to death at the age of 16 for a crime, a murder that he didn't commit. He served several years on death row in Louisiana's Angola prison. And on the line with us from Fort Belvoir in Virginia is Ellis. Ellis, you are Shareef's eldest55 brother, correct?
 
ELLIS COUSIN: Yes.
 
HEADLEE: And because our discussion today is about life after exoneration, what has it been like since Shareef came home?
 
COUSIN: Well, now it's better because he is doing, you know, doing good for himself this time around. You know? But when he first came out, you know, it's tough because, you know, like he had mentioned, he had to look to family to help him out. So, you know, every time I would get a chance, I would try to help him out financially.
 
HEADLEE: OK. So you would try to help financially. How long, Shareef, did it take you, do you think, to get back on your feet?
 
COUSIN: You know, financially it wasn't that difficult. I think, you know, a lot of our families don't be equipped to actually help us deal with some of the mental anguishes56 that we carry - the hurt, the anger, the, you know, the depression that we carry from being in prison for something that you did not commit. And I don't think that's a sign that's really educated on just the fact of how it affects a person.
 
HEADLEE: OK.
 
COUSIN: So, you know, my family did help me. My family was there for me, financially, but I don't think they would've cooped to help me deal with some of the mental things that I was going through at the time.
 
HEADLEE: Well, let me bring that back to you, Ellis. Then what about your family. I mean, did the whole family emotionally able to cope with this or could you have used help from a professional?
 
COUSIN: Definitely could use help. And unlike, you know, my sister - I have a sister right now, they probably would not admit it, but she's definitely having the hardest time because she was the one who really was there with Shareef in the time he was incarcerated. She was the one responsible for the prosecutor's ADA in the case, being sanctioned for prosecutorial57 misconduct and, you know, so she's having the toughest time with it. But I would tell you, even me being the eldest - you know, Shareef lived with me when he was in seven or eighth grade for a while.
 
And so, now like his fraternal, you know, parent. And when it happened, you know, first of all, you know, I own a dry cleaner in Massachusetts and I couldn't function because, you know, I believed in him when he told me that he was innocent and actually during the death penalty phase, he asked us not to plea for his life for something he didn't do. And so no one from the family testified during the death penalty phase. So basically at the time I owned a dry cleaners in Massachusetts and basically gave that up because, you know, for me at the time, once you're served the plate of injustice58, there's no really no such thing as justice. You know, there's no such thing as justice. You know? There's nothing else that's important. So it was important to me at the time to really, you know, look at saving his life.
 
HEADLEE: Yeah. There's victims all around in these particular cases. I want to say thank you to Ellis in Fort Belvoir, Virginia for calling in, oldest brother of Shareef Cousin. Shareef Cousin, sentenced to death at age 16. Served years on death row before his conviction was overturned and he was exonerated. Shareef joined us by smartphone from New Orleans in New Orleans. Thank you so much for speaking with us and good luck.
 
COUSIN: Thank you.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的,有前途的
参考例句:
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
2 rape PAQzh     
n.抢夺,掠夺,强奸;vt.掠夺,抢夺,强奸
参考例句:
  • The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
  • He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。
3 exonerated a20181989844e1ecc905ba688f235077     
v.使免罪,免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
  • An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句
4 falcons 1090843cfc7d8664c201d9881ebf16b9     
n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Peregrine falcons usually pluck the feathers and strip the flesh off their bird prey. 游隼捕到鸟类猎物时,通常是先拔掉它们的羽毛,再把肉撕下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Though he doubted the wisdom of using falcons, Dr. de la Fuente undertook the project. 虽然德·拉·富恩特博士怀疑使用游隼是否明智,但他还是执行了这项计划。 来自辞典例句
5 exoneration UmCxe     
n.免罪,免除
参考例句:
  • Empathy for the criminal's childhood misery does not imply exoneration of the crimes he committed as an adult. 对罪犯悲惨的童年表示怜悯不等于可以免除他长大成人后所犯的罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Exoneration or rehabilitation should be made known as widely as were the original wrong decisions. 原来在什么范围内弄错的,也应该在什么范围内宣布平反。 来自互联网
6 permanently KluzuU     
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地
参考例句:
  • The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
  • The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
7 trauma TJIzJ     
n.外伤,精神创伤
参考例句:
  • Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
  • The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。
8 initially 273xZ     
adv.最初,开始
参考例句:
  • The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
  • Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。
9 syndrome uqBwu     
n.综合病症;并存特性
参考例句:
  • The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
  • Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。
10 incarcerated 6f3f447e42a1b3e317e14328c8068bd1     
钳闭的
参考例句:
  • They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. 战争期间,他们被关在狱中。 来自辞典例句
  • I don't want to worry them by being incarcerated. 我不想让他们知道我被拘禁的事情。 来自电影对白
11 restitution cDHyz     
n.赔偿;恢复原状
参考例句:
  • It's only fair that those who do the damage should make restitution.损坏东西的人应负责赔偿,这是再公平不过的了。
  • The victims are demanding full restitution.受害人要求全额赔偿。
12 compensate AXky7     
vt.补偿,赔偿;酬报 vi.弥补;补偿;抵消
参考例句:
  • She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
  • Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。
13 compensated 0b0382816fac7dbf94df37906582be8f     
补偿,报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 ); 给(某人)赔偿(或赔款)
参考例句:
  • The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
  • I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。
14 allege PfEyT     
vt.宣称,申述,主张,断言
参考例句:
  • The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的,但他们没提出证据。
  • Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。
15 penitentiary buQyt     
n.感化院;监狱
参考例句:
  • He worked as a warden at the state penitentiary.他在这所州监狱任看守长。
  • While he was in the penitentiary her father died and the family broke up.他坐牢的时候,她的父亲死了,家庭就拆散了。
16 inmates 9f4380ba14152f3e12fbdf1595415606     
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 innocence ZbizC     
n.无罪;天真;无害
参考例句:
  • There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
  • The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。
18 mandatory BjTyz     
adj.命令的;强制的;义务的;n.受托者
参考例句:
  • It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
  • There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。
19 supreme PHqzc     
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的
参考例句:
  • It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
  • He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
20 publicity ASmxx     
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告
参考例句:
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
21 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
22 technically wqYwV     
adv.专门地,技术上地
参考例句:
  • Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说,这是最先进的设备。
  • The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说,西红柿是一种水果,尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。
23 literally 28Wzv     
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实
参考例句:
  • He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
  • Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候,她不走到真正要昏厥了,决不肯坐下来。
24 mentality PoIzHP     
n.心理,思想,脑力
参考例句:
  • He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
  • Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。
25 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
26 ironies cb70cfbfac9e60ff1ec5e238560309fb     
n.反语( irony的名词复数 );冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事;嘲弄
参考例句:
  • It was one of life's little ironies. 那是生活中的一个小小的嘲弄。
  • History has many ironies. 历史有许多具有讽刺意味的事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 guilt 9e6xr     
n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责
参考例句:
  • She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
  • Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。
28 reiterate oVMxq     
v.重申,反复地说
参考例句:
  • Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
  • I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。
29 DNA 4u3z1l     
(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸
参考例句:
  • DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
  • Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。
30 raped 7a6e3e7dd30eb1e3b61716af0e54d4a2     
v.以暴力夺取,强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 );强奸
参考例句:
  • A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
  • We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致,不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句
31 chapel UXNzg     
n.小教堂,殡仪馆
参考例句:
  • The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
  • She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午,她在小教堂的演出,可以说是登峰造极。
32 offender ZmYzse     
n.冒犯者,违反者,犯罪者
参考例句:
  • They all sued out a pardon for an offender.他们请求法院赦免一名罪犯。
  • The authorities often know that sex offenders will attack again when they are released.当局一般都知道性犯罪者在获释后往往会再次犯案。
33 malicious e8UzX     
adj.有恶意的,心怀恶意的
参考例句:
  • You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
  • Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。
34 intentional 65Axb     
adj.故意的,有意(识)的
参考例句:
  • Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
  • His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。
35 debilitating RvIzXw     
a.使衰弱的
参考例句:
  • The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病,使他弱到没有办法工作。
  • You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。
36 assuage OvZzP     
v.缓和,减轻,镇定
参考例句:
  • The medicine is used to assuage pain.这种药用来止痛。
  • Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering.你带来的这些振奋人心的消息一定能减轻她的痛苦。
37 physically iNix5     
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
参考例句:
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
38 rapes db4d8af84453b45d758b9eaf77e1eb82     
n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 );强奸罪;强奸案;肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取,强夺( rape的第三人称单数 );强奸
参考例句:
  • The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
  • The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网
39 imperative BcdzC     
n.命令,需要;规则;祈使语气;adj.强制的;紧急的
参考例句:
  • He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
  • The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。
40 restriction jW8x0     
n.限制,约束
参考例句:
  • The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放,没有任何限制。
  • The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。
41 guardian 8ekxv     
n.监护人;守卫者,保护者
参考例句:
  • The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
  • The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。
42 essentially nntxw     
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上
参考例句:
  • Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
  • She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。
43 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
44 alienated Ozyz55     
adj.感到孤独的,不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 );使不友好;转让;让渡(财产等)
参考例句:
  • His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
  • The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
45 survivors 02ddbdca4c6dba0b46d9d823ed2b4b62     
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
  • survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
46 isolate G3Exu     
vt.使孤立,隔离
参考例句:
  • Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
  • We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。
47 friction JQMzr     
n.摩擦,摩擦力
参考例句:
  • When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后,他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
  • Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体,并使其停止。
48 alienation JfYyS     
n.疏远;离间;异化
参考例句:
  • The new policy resulted in the alienation of many voters.新政策导致许多选民疏远了。
  • As almost every conceivable contact between human beings gets automated,the alienation index goes up.随着人与人之间几乎一切能想到的接触方式的自动化,感情疏远指数在不断上升。
49 tragic inaw2     
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
参考例句:
  • The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
  • Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。
50 interval 85kxY     
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
参考例句:
  • The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
  • There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。
51 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
52 systematic SqMwo     
adj.有系统的,有计划的,有方法的
参考例句:
  • The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
  • The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。
53 mentoring 927b67a2488cee0c1ff61a0b43695f30     
n.mentoring是一种工作关系。mentor通常是处在比mentee更高工作职位上的有影响力的人。他/她有比‘mentee’更丰富的工作经验和知识,并用心支持mentee的职业(发展)。v.(无经验之人的)有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • One of the most effective instruments for coaching and mentoring is the "role rehearsal" . 辅导和教学的最有效的手段之一是“角色排练。” 来自辞典例句
  • Bell Canada called their mentoring system a buddy-buddy system. 加拿大贝尔公司称他们的训导系统是伙伴—伙伴系统。 来自互联网
54 arbor fyIzz0     
n.凉亭;树木
参考例句:
  • They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里,边喝茶边聊天。
  • You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。
55 eldest bqkx6     
adj.最年长的,最年老的
参考例句:
  • The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
  • The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。
56 anguishes ad11b86f50ae21081c57a8d0cc9d3202     
v.(尤指心理上的)极度的痛苦( anguish的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
57 prosecutorial 3441adc9f9eb76e7a75988f8965e9601     
公诉人的,原告的; 起诉的
参考例句:
  • If prosecutorial misconduct results in a mistrial, a later prosecution may be barred. 如果检察官的不轨行为导致审判无效,再行起诉可能会被除数禁止。 来自口语例句
  • Prosecutorial supervision is required according to public power attribution of civil litigation. 民事诉讼的个性和检察监督是对立统一的关系,并不排斥检察监督。
58 injustice O45yL     
n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利
参考例句:
  • They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
  • All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
TAG标签:   英语听力  听力教程  英语学习
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴