2006年VOA标准英语-Supreme Court to Decide on Need for New Tr

By Deborah Block
Washington, DC
12 January 2006
 
watch DNA¹ report

DNA evidence   
  

The Supreme² Court says it will decide if and when people convicted of crimes should get a new chance to prove their innocence³, based on DNA evidence.  The highest court in the United States is hearing the case of a man who was sentenced to death after being convicted of killing⁴ a young mother.  Genetic⁵ evidence wasn't available during his trial 20 years ago.  

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Death row immate Paul House
  

Paul House sits on death row in the southern U.S. state of Tennessee for the rape⁶ and murder of Carolyn Muncey.  A jury convicted him after hearing testimony⁷ that evidence found on the victim was likely from Mr. House, a previously⁸ convicted sex offender⁹. 

Years later, that evidence was analyzed¹⁰ using DNA testing and it turned out the DNA was not his, but the woman's husband.  DNA is a molecule¹¹ that contains genetic information and each person's is unique. 

 
Peter Neufeld
  
Peter Neufeld is with the Innocence Project, a legal clinic that works to exonerate¹² wrongly convicted people through DNA testing. He says, "House may very well be innocent, we don't know.  But we sure as heck know that the first jury didn't hear true facts.  They heard false facts, and the DNA proves to a certainty that they heard false facts, and he deserves a new trial."

Kevin McElfresh is head of Bode¹³ Technology, near Washington, DC, which does DNA testing for criminal cases.  He says DNA testing can make or break a criminal case.

 
Kevin McElfresh
  
"The real beauty of DNA testing is that you have a solid, real piece of information that says that this person is tied to this crime with certainty,” says Mr. McElfresh.  “All DNA does is say we know who this person is.  It's up to a jury to decide that person is a criminal."

DNA technology has been used to free 172 convicted felons¹⁴, including 14 on death row.  But there is no requirement for the law to revisit a case based on previously unavailable DNA evidence.  And in this case William Phillips, the prosecutor¹⁵, argues there is significant other evidence against Mr. House.

"We are in favor of DNA evidence to exonerate people in appropriate cases, but this is not the case," he said.

Mr. House, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, continues to maintain his innocence. "I can't do anything other than say I did not do it."

Now the Supreme Court will decide if new DNA evidence should be considered so compelling that Mr. House at least deserves a new trial and others in similar circumstances.

1 DNA   

(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。

2 supreme   

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。

3 innocence   

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。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

6 rape   

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。

7 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 offender   

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。

10 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

12 exonerate   

v.免除责任，确定无罪

参考例句：

• Nothing can exonerate her from that.任何解释都难辞其咎。
• There is no reason to exonerate him from the ordinary duties of a citizen.没有理由免除他做公民应尽的义务。

13 bode   

v.预示

参考例句：

• These figures do not bode well for the company's future.这些数字显示出公司的前景不妙。
• His careful habits bode well for his future.他那认真的习惯预示著他会有好的前途。

14 felons   

n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎

参考例句：

• Aren't those the seats they use for transporting convicted felons? 这些坐位不是他们用来押运重犯的吗？ 来自电影对白
• House Republicans talk of making felons out of the undocumented and those who help them. 众议院共和党议员正商议对未登记的非法移民以及包庇他们的人课以重罪。 来自互联网

15 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。