ESL Podcast 1031 - Following a High-Profile Court Case

guilty - having committed a crime; not following the law; having broken one or more laws

The judge found her guilty of robbery.

innocent - not having committed a crime; following the law; not having broken any laws

He has been in prison for more than 10 years, but he still says that he's innocent.

show trial - a legal trial that receives a lot of public attention, but is highly political, with a result that has practically already been decided, used to influence public opinion

After the war, there were several major show trials of war criminals.

district attorney - a lawyer whose job is to represent the government in a legal matter and/or in court

The district attorney filed a case against the polluting factory.

witch-hunt - the practice of looking for and punishing people who have a different opinion or different habits than most other people do

The search for dangerous communist in the 1980s was, in most cases, a witch- hunt.

political ambition - wanting to have a powerful position in politics; a desire to have an important career in politics

Sheila never had political ambitions when she was younger, but when she was 47, she suddenly decided to run for mayor.

high-profile - receiving a lot of attention and publicity; noticed and known by many people; with a lot of public attention

What can we do to prevent this from becoming a high-profile scandal?

to make an example of (someone) - to shame someone and make his or her case serve as a warning to discourage others from doing the same thing

The professor made an example of Hendric, kicking him out of the class for cheating on an exam.

criminal - a person who has broken the law; a person who has committed a crime

What percentage of criminals complete their full prison sentence?

to crack down - to become very strict and enforce rule or laws without making exceptions

Mall security guards are cracking down on shoplifters.

to grandstand - to behave or speak in a way that attracts attention and interest, especially to make oneself seem important or powerful

Lorelai uses every meeting to grandstand, trying to make the managers think she's the best worker in the office.

sacrificial lamb - a person who is harmed or put in a damaging position for the benefit of the larger group

James wasn't really to blame for the mistake, but became the sacrificial lamb when he didn't defend himself as the others did.

to take a stand - to boldly state one's position and not be swayed or persuaded by others

Someone needs to take a stand and tell Heather that her behavior is unacceptable.

at the expense of - causing harm or neglect to someone or something while pursuing some other goal or action

We can meet the deadline, but only at the expense of thoroughness and quality.

justice - fairness in how people are treated, especially under the law

Gregorio became a judge because he is passionate about justice for all.

from where I'm standing - a phrase used to express one's opinion while recognizing that other people may have different perspectives or opinions

From where I'm standing, that sounds like a terrible idea, but I realize other people may disagree with me.

blind spot - an area where one's view is obstructed (blocked) and one cannot see clearly, either literally or figuratively

Their love for their daughter has created a blind spot where they can't see or understand how bad her actions have become.