Legal Writing Lesson 1

Part A: Legal Letter Writing

1. Individually (5 minutes)
Read the information on how to write a legal letter, paying particular attention to:
- the example letter
- bullet points
- ensure you read through ‘points to consider before writing’

Part B: Legal Letter Writing Exercises

1. In pairs
Read through the exercises and complete the exercises together. Answers will be reviewed in
class.

Part C: Writing a Legal Letter

1. Individually
Write a response to the scenario offered.

2. Please bring a hard copy of your Legal Letter to Lesson 1 Week 50 English class.

3. The final copy of your Legal Client Letter is due: Friday 15 December before 5 pm.

NOTE: If you have difficulty viewing information inside the text box, please move the text box
and/or enlarge it.

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Part A:
The purpose of legal writing in practice is to provide information, suggestions and advice as well
as to record information. The reader of your legal writing may rely on what you have written
when making important, real-life decisions. What you write must, therefore, be clear and precise.
Example letter:

STRINGWOOD & EVANS

Solicitors Name and address
18 Bond Street of sender
London W1 1KR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7538 2892

Name and address of

Mr C. Horton person receiving letter
Flat 3
Mancunian Mansions
Mayfair
Your firm’s reference here. (If recipient of letter
London, W1 2GB has provided a reference then also indicate that
reference here.)
Start letter with salutation of ‘Dear
Mr/Ms/Mrs or Miss’ + last name. If last
name is not known, use ‘Dear
Our Ref. A1245
Sir/Madam’.
Your Ref
Provide title to indicate subject of letter

23 June 2011

Dear Mr Horton

Ravenscourt Limited

Further to our meeting last week I am writing to confirm that I am happy to act for you in forming a private limited
company in the UK in the name of Ravenscourt Limited (‘Ravenscourt’). In accordance with you instructions I have now
drafted the company documentation necessary to incorporated Ravenscourt. This documentation includes a
memorandum, model articles of association and form IM01.

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

In further compliance with your instructions, you have been named on this documentation as the sole shareholder and
director of Ravenscourt. You will recall that during our discussion it was pointed out to you that the Companies Act 2006
stipulates that a private company limited by shares no longer requires a company secretary. You nevertheless indicated that
you wish Ravenscourt to have a company secretary, namely Jennifer Oranuba and I have therefore named this person on
form IM01 as company secretary.

Further details of this new company, as requested, will be as follows. The registered office of the company is to be 19
Connaught Terrace, Holborn, London EC1 2GB. In addition, the company is to be formed with an initial share capital of
£100 sterling, consisting of 100 ordinary shares of £1 each. You will also be the shareholder of these shares.

Please now check the details on the enclosed forms to ensure that they meet with your requirements and return the forms to
me duly signed and dated. I will then arrange for the paperwork to be forwarded to the Companies House, along with the
appropriate fee, in order to incorporate the company.

My hourly rate for all work undertaken in connections with forming Ravenscourt and advising you on the procedure and
legal requirements in this connection will be £250 per hour plus VAT. I am a partner with this firm and if at any time you
are dissatisfied with any aspect of my work then please contact me and I will endeavor to resolve the matter. If, however, you
then remain dissatisfied
Points to note onyouletter
can contact
contentMartin Mendoza, who is the partner who deals with our complaints procedures. I
look forward to hearing from you.
If you are writing on behalf of a firm, use the first person plural, we, and use it consistently
throughout the correspondence. Avoid overly emotional expression or over-emphasis (e.g. using
the exclamation mark !!!). Acknowledge the last communication. For instance, Thank you for
your letter dated . . . Letter starts with recipient’s last name, so ends with ‘Yours sincerely’. If
Yours sincerely,
1
letter starts with person’s first name then also use ‘Yours sincerely’ or
Summarise what both “Your’s”,
you and Ifthe person you
recipient’s areiswriting
name unknownto (and
(whether a client,
“Sir” or “Madam”colleague,
has beenetc.)
Peter Arkhurst
are to do next. used), then end with ‘Yours faithfully’. Also note that sincerely’and
‘faithfully’ start with small letters, while ‘Yours’ starts with a capital letter.
There are numerous reasons or purposes behind a letter being required but by following the
points raised it will ensure that it will be professional, helpful, meet its requirements or purpose.

• Purpose - Consideration of the purpose of the letter is paramount because it serves as the
foundation for all other considerations that may be different for each purpose. There are
also several purposes that a letter covers; Information, guidance or requests are just three
examples.

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The above information is derived from Legal English How to understand and maters the language of law by William McKay, Helen Charlton,
and Grant Barsoum (Pearson Education Limited 2011).

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

• Audience - The reader is important because this governs the tone and language that the
letter should contain. A client would not understand complex legal issues or legal
language as would a judge or fellow legal professional. The needs or requirements of a
client will normally be different from those of the said judge or legal professional.

• Structure - Clarity and brevity require that every word used in the letter must have a
purpose. The reader may be a very busy legal professional or a confused, worried or
angry client and the content of the letter must meet their needs in as clear and concise
way as possible.

The layout of the letter must ensure that it conveys a professional approach, is neat and in a
structured order. There is no standard layout per se as each practice will have an individual house
style based on the practice headed paper but there are some basic rules that should be followed.

• Tone - The tone of the letter must be balanced and in keeping with the subject that it
covers. Some matters may require a firm tone or send a sense of urgency, for example
where information or documents are required to meet a specific deadline. Other letters
may command a need for sympathy, for example when dealing with probate or sensitive
family matters.

• Accuracy - This is a letter from a legal professional, therefore, any legal content must be
completely correct and up to date. Whether criminal, civil, statutory or common the law
is such a dynamic entity that can so quickly be out of date. For example, the elements of
a criminal offence can very quickly change through the decision of the Court of Appeal
or an offence can be completely abolished by the enactment of secondary legislation.
The effect of including out of date legal issues in a letter can not only be detrimental to
the case at hand but to the client and the reputation of the firm.

• Grammar - The letter should be free from spelling or grammar mistakes, therefore, it is
vital that it is proofread carefully. A letter containing such inaccuracies only serves to
project an image of the firm as being unprofessional, sloppy or simply bad. Equally,
where a letter contains financial information, whether it is for billing/fee purposes or
quoting potential damages amounts, an error can have far-reaching effects for both the
firm and the client either through loss of monies or provision of false hope.

• Client Care - Although this is the last point in this list it is arguably the most important
aspect. The Solicitors Code of Conduct requires that this is paramount at all times. There
are also statutory requirements, for example where a case includes contingency fees this
must be declared and explained to the client.

Points to consider before writing:

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

A lay client may primarily only be interested in whether they have a case and if they have a good
prospect of winning whereas a legal professional will have other requirements, for example,
clarification of a legal point. Whomever the letter is for, the issue of client care and adherence to
the Code of Conduct are paramount.

Consider whether they may be any communication problems, for example, whether the letter
should be in Braille if the client is the blind or large text for the partially sighted. Where the
client's first language is not English a translation may also be necessary.

Be aware that the letter may become a piece of evidence, therefore, it may be read out in open
court so ensure that it would be acceptable in all the circumstances for this purpose.

Consider asking a colleague to read over the letter for you once you have written it, particularly
in the early days of practice. A fresh pair of eyes can provide an idea of how the reader will view
the letter and identify any mistakes that you may have missed.

If writing a letter on behalf of a senior colleague consider the style used by that person and how
well they are acquainted with the recipient.

If writing to another legal professional or business client they will be familiar with solicitors'
letters so ensure to get straight to the point. These clients will be busy and will not welcome over
embellishment.

If the letter is in reply to a communication, be it written or verbal, acknowledge this fact.

Keep the letter and language restrained in tone. Do not over emphasise matters and give each
point an appropriate status.

Avoid using such phrases as 'extremely unhappy' or 'wholly inaccurate' and avoid expressing
such things as emotion, surprise, amazement or anger.

Never include jokes or smart/funny remarks and ensure that everything that is included is not
capable of being misconstrued or given an alternative meaning.

Remember that whatever is said in the document, it is in writing and therefore a permanent
record.

Always check grammar and spelling.

Ensure that the letter contains the correct references, dates, enclosures, and addresses and that the
envelope has the correct address on it.
Part B: Exercises for Legal Writing

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Use the Active Voice.

Compare these sentences:

A. The poacher was shot by the farmer.

B. The farmer shot the poacher.

Which sentence sounds better?

Most people would say that sentence B sounds better because it is shorter and more direct.
Sentence B is an active sentence; its structure is actor-verb-supporting material. Sentence A is a
passive sentence; the actor appears after the verb and is introduced by a preposition.
Effective writing uses both active and passive sentences. The passive voice may sometimes be
preferable, such as where the actor is obvious or where the writer wants the actor to be
ambiguous.

Example.

Mistakes were made.

However, overuse of the passive voice can make your writing sound overly formal. In addition,
use of the active voice emphasizes the actor, and active sentences are usually shorter. Your
writing should contain no more than 10% passive sentences.

Exercise 1

Prefer the active voice over the passive. Edit the following sentences to eliminate the passive
voice:

1. Testimony was heard from the plaintiff and from three witnesses on behalf of the
corporation.
2. This is a purely legal question to be determined by the court.
3. McCormick's motion for partial summary judgment on the duty to defend should be
denied.
4. Plaintiff's opposition violates Rule 313 of the California Rules of Court and may be
disregarded by the court

Write with Verbs.

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Another problem that frequently appears in writing is a tendency to use nouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and clauses to do the work of verbs. Consider the following examples.

Examples.

Bob drove quickly down the road.

Bob sped down the road.

The diplomats worked at normalization of relations between the countries.

The diplomats tried to normalize relations between the countries.

In the second version of the first pair of sentences, a specific verb replaces the adverb and
non-specific verb of the first version. Not only does the second version eliminate one word, it
sounds more direct and powerful. In the second pair of sentences, the first version lets the noun
perform the action; action is the function of a verb. Transforming verbs into nouns is called
nominalization.

Exercise 2

Edit the following sentences to make the verb perform the action.

1. The homeless man looked at the food in the shop window in a hungry manner.
2. The company's business was the importation of fine china.
3. William ate the meal slowly in order to enjoy it fully.
4. The children had fun at the amusement park.
5. The dancers went across the stage in a snake-like manner.
6. Anne lived life to the fullest.
7. His crime was a big surprise to his friends.
8. He spoke to the crowd in a loud voice.
9. Mack gave a lecture to the child.
10. The court found that the company had committed discrimination against women.

Don't Overuse the Verb "To Be."

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

The verb "to be" is the most common verb in the English language. However, overuse of "to
be" can make your writing sound weak. Consider the following paragraphs:

Example.

Martha is a lawyer in a large New York law firm. She is one of the brightest
young lawyers in the firm. Her area of practice is employee benefits, and her boss is
Mary Smith. Martha is happy with her job.

Martha works in a large New York law firm. She is one of the brightest young
lawyers in the firm. She practices in the area of employee benefits, and she works for
Mary Smith. Martha enjoys her job.

The first version is choppy and dull because of overuse of the verb "to be.". The second version
contains more verb variety and sounds better. It is not wrong to use the verb "to be"; it is wrong
to overuse it. The same applies to "to have."

Exercise 3

Change the "to be" or "to have" verbs in the following sentence to active verbs.

1. John is a lawyer.
2. Laura's home is Lexington, Ky.
3. Professor Smith has an old Datsun.
4. Nan has a poodle.
5. The sunset is beautiful.
6. Jan will have her first jury trial in June.
7. There will be a clown at the party.
8. Donna was in Europe last summer.
9. My job is in the Criminal Division of the Attorney General's office.
10. Her dream is to climb Mt. Kala.

Exercise 4

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Put the following adjectives and verbs under the correct prefix column in the table below to
create an opposite or negative meaning.

legal mature comfort

reliable valid represent
obedient accurate able
honour relevant possible
fair responsible ease
literate direct logical
legible certain avoidable

ir un dis im in il mis

Exercise 5

Keep the subject, the verb, and the object together--toward the beginning of the sentence. Edit
the following sentences to cure the separation of related words:

1. Ms. Lenderfield, during the course of her struggle to provide for her children as a single
parent, accrued considerable debt to her family and others. Chesapeake's assertion that it
is not a proper defendant in this case and, therefore, that relief cannot be granted is
incorrect.

2. The court, in finding that Officer McGee was acting more as a school employee than as a
police officer in searching Robinson, ruled that an official's primary role is not law
enforcement.

Exercise 6

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Keep your average sentence length to about 20 words.

Break each of the following long sentences into at least three separate sentences:

1. Appellee Allied Indemnity of New York respectfully suggests that oral argument would
be of little benefit because the dispositive issue has been recently authoritatively decided
by the Texas Supreme Court in National Union Fire Insurance Co. v. CBI Industries, Inc.,
907 S.W.2d 517 (Tex. 1995), and by this Court in Constitution State Insurance Co. v. Iso-
Tex, Inc., 61 F.3d 405 (5th Cir. 1995), because the facts and legal arguments are
adequately presented in the briefs and record, and because the decisional process would
not be significantly aided by oral argument. [91 words]

2. Although no Kansas cases were found that explicitly hold that Kansas requires a
corporation to have a valid business purpose in order to engage in certain specified
corporate transactions, either for mergers or consolidations, or for a sale of assets
followed by a dissolution and liquidation, in a 1994 Supreme Court of Kansas case
involving a cash-out merger where the dissenters claimed the defendant's board of
directors breached its fiduciary duties to the dissenters, the court cited as one of the trial
court's pertinent conclusions of law that it is not necessary for a corporation to show a
valid corporate purpose for eliminating stockholders. [105 words]

3. The court of appeals noted that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had already
issued the applicant a National Pollution Elimination System permit for the actual
discharge of wastewater, which would occur from the outfall pipe, and that the issuance
and conditions of such permits were generally exempt under the Clean Water Act from
compliance with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) requirement, and accordingly
the court concluded that the Corps had properly excluded the environmental implications
of the discharges from the outfall pipe from its analysis and instead considered only the
construction and maintenance of the pipeline itself in determining that the issuance of the
permit did not constitute a major federal action. [112 words]

Exercise 7
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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Omit needless words.

Delete at least four consecutive words in the following sentences; replace those words with just
one word.
You may rephrase ideas and rearrange sentences, but don't change the meaning.

1. Even assuming that the fog caused injury to Roelke, Amskills had no duty to prevent that
injury because it was idiosyncratic and Amskills could not have been expected to foresee
such injury.

2. At no time prior to the initial public offering did the underwriters or any officers,
directors, or employees have knowledge of any facts that would suggest that "Palm
Harbor" could not be completed on schedule and in accordance with specifications.

3. Beale has wholly failed to allege facts that, if true, would establish that competition
among the nation's law schools would be reduced or that the public has been in any way
injured, and this failure to allege facts that would establish an injury to competition
warrants the dismissal of her restraint-of-trade claim.

4. The Business Corporation Law does not address the ability of a New York corporation to
indemnify individuals who are not its employees.

5. The court examined a number of cases and stated that there appeared to be only a limited
number of instances in which there would exist a duty to disclose the illegal conduct of
persons who, through political campaigns, seek election to a public office.

Exercise 8
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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Prefer the singular over the plural. Edit the following sentences to change the plural to singular
when appropriate:

1. Employees who have earned more than 25 credits are eligible for positions under Section
7.
2. The fire marshal is responsible for issuing all the permits listed in this section.
3. All the shareholders of the corporation have only one vote.
4. If the appealing parties have not satisfied the requisites for interlocutory appeals, their
appeals will be dismissed.
5. When issues not raised by the pleadings are tried by the express or implied consent of the
parties, they must be treated in all respects as if they had been raised by the pleadings.

Exercise 9

Avoid multiple negatives. Recast the following sentences in positive form:

1. Notice will not be effective unless it is delivered in person or by certified mail, return
receipt requested.
2. In the absence of any proof to the contrary, the court should presume that the
administrator's functions have not ceased.
3. No termination will be approved unless the administrator reviews the application and
finds that it is not lacking any requisite materials.
Legal Letter
Charles Scoville, a client of your firm (Stringwood & Evans, solicitors), has recently confirmed
that he would accept the sum of £25,000 in settlement of his case. The following letter is
addressed to Roderick Krugman, the lawyer acting for Bannerman and Law (the solicitors for the
other party). It sets out proposals for settlement of the dispute. Complete this letter by inserting
the correct words from the box below into the corresponding spaces in the letter.
prospects of success damages award
employment tribunal unfairly dismissed mitigate
settlement applicant instructions
misconduct disciplinary hearing dismissal
contract of employment legal grounds notice period

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

STRINGWOOD & EVANS

Solicitors
18 Bond Street
London W1 1KR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7538 2892

To: Weir & Co.

45 Richmond Hill
Richmond
Surrey, KT8 9BU

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

21 December 2010

Dear Mr Krugman
Charles E. Scoville v Bannerman and Law

We act on behalf of the (1) __________ in the above (2)____________ proceedings. It appears clear from our (3)
_________ that our client has been (4) ____________.

In particular, there does not appear to have been any valid or acceptable reason for his (5)__________. The dismissal
was also procedurally unfair. For instance, Mr Scoville was not provided with the opportunity to explain, there having
been no (6)__________. Similarly, he was denied his legal right to have a representative present when confronted
with the allegation of (7)_________. He was not provided with the opportunity of working the three months (8)
____________ provided for in his (9)___________. There were no (10) ___________ for his summary
dismissal. We are confident therefore that our client’s (11) _____________ are high.

Mr Scoville has not obtained further employment despite having made efforts to (12) _________ his loss. We are
confident therefore that the Employment Tribunal would (13) ______ significant (14) ________.

Entirely without prejudice, however, we would propose (15) ________ of this matter on the basis that your client pays
the sum of £25,000 within twenty-one days. If this matter has not been satisfactorily resolved within twenty-one days
then legal proceedings will be commenced. We are confident that the tribunal will award damages. We look forward to
hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

STRINGWOOD & EVANS

Specialist Court and Company Lawyers

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Please bring a completed hard copy to Lesson 1 week 50.

When someone dies due to the fault of another person or entity (like a car manufacturer), the
survivors may be able to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. Such a lawsuit seeks compensation for
the survivors' loss, such as lost wages from the deceased, lost companionship, and funeral
expenses.

Part C: Legal Client Letter Assignment

Imagine you work for the Stringwood & Evans law firm as a lawyer. Write a response letter to
Mr Chace Rawford informing him of the current situation with regards to his request to sue
employee Ms Jennifer Johnson and the Farmer Arms Pub owner Mr Troy Beach. Use the
subheadings Responsibilities, Facts, and Conclusions and Recommendation. The letter should be
minimum 300 words (the calculation excluding the address, the date and the greetings).

Hints for each category:

Responsibilities:

• Explain to your client what you do (mainly acting as an advisor and representative, if this
goes to court).
• Explain to your client that your opinion is not binding is not a guarantee the outcome in
the event the case goes to court.
• Inform your client they are financially responsible for any court decision.
• A realistic possibility of success exists if the there is substantial proof of the client’s
claim when challenged in court.

Facts:

• Confirm the facts offered in your client’s previous letter dated June 2, 2000.

Conclusions and Recommendation:

• People who suffer financially may file a wrongful death claim. Some states allow all
persons who suffer financially from the death to bring a wrongful death action for loss
care or support, even if they are not related by blood or marriage to the victim.

• Wrongful death lawsuits can be brought against a wide variety of persons, companies,
government agencies, and employees.

Under this category, you can sue

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

1) the persons who sold, served, or gave alcohol to the impaired driver, or

2) the owner of the premises where the alcohol was served.

Types of Damages (as the attorney you need to decide which types of damages would be the
best advice for your client)

In general, there are three types of damages that may be available to the survivors in a wrongful
death lawsuit: (1) economic, (2) non-economic, and (3) punitive.

Economic damages. These include the value of the financial contributions the victim would
have made to the survivors if he or she didn't die, and include the following:

• medical and funeral expenses connected to the death

• loss of the victim's expected earnings
• loss of benefits, such as pension plans or medical coverage
• loss of an inheritance caused by the untimely death, and
• the value of the goods and services that a victim would have provided.

Non-economic damages. Although less tangible, non-economic damages often have more value
than economic damages. Examples include:

• damages for the survivors' mental anguish or pain and suffering

• loss of the care, protection, guidance, advice, training, and nurturing from the deceased
• loss of love, society, and companionship from the deceased, and
• loss of consortium from a deceased spouse.

punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded to punish the defendant for, especially bad
conduct. In many states, these damages are not available in wrongful death lawsuits or not
recoverable against certain defendants including most governmental agencies. However, treble
damages (which are in an amount equal to three times the actual damages) may often be
recovered against nursing homes for elder abuse and death.

Interest and attorneys' fees. In some states, the survivors can recover interest on the damages
from the time they were incurred up to the time they are collected. And in some cases, the
survivors can get reimbursed from the defendant for attorneys' fees and costs incurred in the
bringing the lawsuit.

Calculating Damages

Calculating damages can be extremely complicated, and the parties often use expert witnesses,
such as economists and actuaries, to give their opinions on the proper amount of damages. These
calculations include not only income and benefits earned outside the home, but also the monetary

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

value of services and care provided inside the home by a homemaker parent (such as child care,
cooking, laundry, house cleaning and maintenance, shopping, education, medical care, and
transportation).

You may want to ask your client to come into the office for an initial interview.

You may want to ask your client to be seen by a doctor in order to confirm his assessment of
PTSD.

Information from client:

Chace Rawford offered this information in his letter to you dated 2 June 2000.

Chace Rawford, 124 Fraser Avenue, V0K 1E0 London.

The letter to your firm is as follows:

My name is Chace Rawford and I work as an accountant for the Society for the Settlement of
Refugees. In April 1999 I was witness to a horrible murder that occurred in at the Farmers Arms
Pub. At that time Jennifer Johnson was the manager the owner was Troy Beach. Since this
horrible event, I have been having trouble sleeping, focusing on my work and I was forced to
take time off. I also feel like I am suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and have
recently lost a lot of weight. I can’t eat and my emotions seem to be erratic and I feel depressed
and hopeless. I blame this murder on the mismanagement by Jennifer Johnson and the lack of
safety measures taken by Troy Beach, the owner. I’ve never seen anything like this in real life. If
she would have acted earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t have nightmares every
night and I could live normally.

I have decided that I want financial compensation for the nightmare I have been living and I
want them to pay for some kind of treatment centre for myself and I want to recuperate my
financial loss, due to my inability to work. In other words, I want to hire your firm to sue them.
Is this possible? What steps to I have to go through to do this? If we win, will they pay your
fees? I’ve heard so much about people suing other people on the news, but I’m afraid I don’t
really know what to do. Will you help me?

I await your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Chace Rawford

I have attached a copy of my witness statement to the police when the murder happened on 1
April 1999.

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 Legal Writing Lesson 1

Copy witness statement:

On 1 April 1999 I went to the Farmers Arms Pub with Robert at about 21:00. The Pub was very
busy and the Bar Manager, Jennifer Johnson, was having a tough time trying to keep order.
After we had been in the Pub for about half an hour, three people who I learned later were Liam
Jemsworth and his friends, Alex Confer and Zac Mefron, came in. They sat down at the table
next to us. The three of them ordered a double round of drinks each and soon started making a
noise. At about 22:00 the deceased, Liam, started making rude remarks about our country. He
said that we were backward and should not be allowed into the Pub and shouldn’t be let into the
country. His friends Alex and Zac joined in with shouts and insults. Liam seemed to
particularly pick on Robert. I heard him say that if the Pub Manager, Jennifer, was not prepared
to throw Robert out of the Pub he would do so himself. He was really insulting Jennifer and
earlier we overhead him making sexual remarks about her. This didn’t sit well with us because
we come to this Pub regularly and she has always welcomed us and treated us with respect. We
tried to ignore them, but the insults towards us became louder, and Liam became more and more
aggressive. Jennifer went to tell Liam to quiet down, but he shouted at her and said that if she
knew how to run a Pub properly she would never allow a dog like Robert to drink in it. This
made Robert very angry, but we decided that we were not going to react or be intimidated by
them.

At about 23:00 Liam suddenly moved towards Robert shouting: “If she won’t throw you out, I
will!” He was followed by Alex and Zac. The three of them looked as if they were going to
attack Robert and maybe me. As Liam moved close to Robert he suddenly put his hand in his
pocket. I could see him feeling for something and immediately guessed that he had a knife in his
pocket. I shouted out to Robert: ‘Look out he has a knife!’ Robert stood up and pulled out his
knife to defend himself. Just as he was doing so Zac pushed his hand against Eric’s shoulder.
This made him stagger forward and fall on top of Robert’s knife. The knife must have stabbed
Liam in the heart, because there was lots of blood everywhere. Jennifer and Zac tried to stop the
bleeding, but he died within a couple of minutes. Robert was in a state of shock. Jennifer then
called an ambulance and the police. The ambulance arrived half an hour later. The police also
arrived and took statements. Robert was arrested by the police and later charged with murder.

I do not know why they are charging Robert with murder. It was obviously an accident. In any
event if anyone killed Liam it was himself through his own aggressive behavior. Robert
definitely did not intend to kill him. If Zac Mefron had not negligently pushed him, Liam
Jemsworth would still be alive today. Robert had no choice but to take out his knife to defend
himself. If he didn’t he would have been stabbed by Jemsworth. He could not run away because
the Pub was too crowded and Alex Confer and Zac Mefron were standing close to him. Robert
is a pacifist he would never injure anyone unless it was to save his life.

Please bring a completed hard copy to the lesson 1 week 50.

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