Step 84: Crime and the Law
Justice — Legal vocabulary; reported news
📖 Read — The Case of the Stolen Bikes
AUSTIN — Police arrested a man on Tuesday in connection with a series of bike thefts near the university. Witnesses reported that the man had been watching the bike racks for days. “He was caught red-handed,” an officer said, “with three locks and a stolen bike in his truck. The long arm of the law reached him at last.”
At the court hearing, the judge told the man to pay a fine of $2,000 and return every bike. “Breaking the law has consequences,” she said. The thief apologized to the students. Police said that all twelve bikes would be returned to their owners this week — a happy ending for the campus.
🧩 Grammar — Legal English + Reported News
News about crime mixes two skills you own: reported speech (police said that…, witnesses reported that…) and legal collocations: break the law, be arrested FOR a crime, be caught, pay a fine, be found guilty / not guilty, go to court. Notice how news reports use the passive for the criminal's journey: He was arrested on Tuesday. He was taken to court. The bikes were returned.
- He was arrested for stealing bikes.
- Witnesses said that he had watched the racks for days.
- The judge told him to pay a fine.
- She was found not guilty.
🏗️ Key structures
- ___ was arrested for ___ — The man was arrested for stealing a car.
- Witnesses / Police said that ___ — Police said that the road was closed.
- The judge told him to ___ — The judge told him to pay a fine.
⭐ Idiom & natural phrases
He hid for years, but the long arm of the law found him.
🔤 New words
a person who steals things (plural: thieves)
The thief took three bikes.
take something that is not yours (stole / stolen)
Someone stole my phone.
when the police take someone away for a possible crime
Police arrested the man on Tuesday.
a person who saw something happen and can describe it
A witness described the car.
the place where judges decide legal cases
The case went to court.
the person in court who decides the result of a case
The judge listened carefully.
money you must pay as punishment for breaking a rule or law
He paid a fine of $200.
responsible for doing something wrong or illegal (opposite: innocent / not guilty)
The man was found guilty.
🎧 Say it with me
Police arrested a man for stealing bikes. Witnesses said that he had been caught red-handed, and the judge told him to pay a fine.
🎤 Your turn to speak
Report a mini news story (real or invented): one arrest sentence, one 'police said that' sentence, and one judge/fine sentence.
Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.
✍️ Your turn to write
Write a short news report (5 sentences) about a small crime with a happy ending. Use arrested for, witnesses said that, and a passive.
See a model answer
Denver police arrested a young man on Friday for breaking into cars near the station. Witnesses said that he had been seen near the parking lot all week. Officers found six stolen phones in his bag, and he was taken to court on Monday. The judge told him to return everything and pay a fine. By Friday, all the phones had been returned to their owners.
Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?
📝 Quick check
Go deeper
This step is a doorway — the full lesson goes much further:
Reported Speech: He Said (That)… — full lesson + 50-question quiz
🎉 Saved in your progress!