Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A man left alone in a jail cell in America (for 4 days) will receive $4,000,000

A student was arrested (perhaps falsely) and placed in a jail cell in California.  The individuals responsible for him then left the jail and did not return for 4 days.

The student suffered a great deal due to this and was able to sue the US government.  The government has admitted that its Drug Enforcement agents acted improperly and they have awarded the young man $4,000,000.

The article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23512853

Vocabulary to help you understand the article:

to be arrested - this is when the police or federal agents believe a person has committed a crime and they take the person into custody (they take the person to a police station or jail).

to sue - this is when you hire a lawyer and take someone to court in order to win money from the person you are suing.  In this case the young man took the US government to court and the government admitted it was guilty.  They gave the student $4,000,000 because the student suffered so much.

to be abandoned - if you abandon something, you put it aside and forget about it.

compensation - in this case it means money given to the young man because he suffered so badly. Compensation can also mean money you receive for doing work.

he drank his urine - urine is the liquid waste you flush down the toilet.

a drug raid - a raid is when the police surprise a group of people in a building and investigate the building for a crime.  So the police entered a building, by surprise, in San Diego, looking for drugs.

dehydration - not enough water

cramps - when your muscles tighten causing extreme pain. Your muscles can cramp when you don't get enough water.  Sometimes athletes experience muscle cramps during games.

perforated - if something is perforated, it has a hole in it.  An esophagus is an inner tube in the throat.

detention - when a person is held against his will by the police or federal agents.
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Writing/Discussion Topics:

Do you think this amount of money is fair?

Do you think the agents should be arrested?

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