We write a lot, no surprise, and here are some stylistic issues on our mind.
PAST TENSE OF PLEA
But then we had a serious disagreement with his honor
Judge Dillard. He tweeted that the past tense of PLED WAS PLEADED and we respectfully
objected in a tweet back, arguing that it was PLED.
You bleed, you bled- you didn’t bleeded.
You Plead, you Pled. Upon receiving a misbegotten alias capias command to appear in court, we might fire off an email like this: “Dear Judge, this case is closed. My client pled last week” as opposed to “my client pleaded last week”
Pleaded is awkward. Consider this our continuing objection your honor. When appearing before you, we shall endeavor to follow your rules of language (however wrong they may be).
Of course, this is somewhat unneeded for us, since our
rule is never plead anything but not guilty.
QUOTATION CONUNDRUM
When using a quote, the rule is to add a period inside the quotation even if the portion doesn’t
have one if the quotation ends the sentence. For example you might write in an email to your favourite
judge “Rumpole said you were a simpleton.”
And note there is no additional period outside of the
quotation mark.
BUT (or as they say in the hallowed halls of rhe REGJB) PERO...
We think the rule also is that if the sentence is
followed by a citation, then no period is used. For example:
“Rumpole said you were a simpleton”. Justice Building
Blog, December 2, 2013.
Thoughts on the stylistic issues of the day?
9 comments:
This is all very nice … but what we really need now is:
Sir Kenneth’s list of top Navy Sport Coats for the Autumn of 2023.
Is it Brioni? Zegna? Loro Piana? Or simply a Purple Label Ralph Lauren?
Could you appear in court this fall with a sport jacket and slacks vs a suit?
Sir Kenneth … please share some style tips. We need you now - more than ever.
I pleaded with him not to jump off the roof.
Tt wasn't "unneeded" Rumpole, it was "unned".
Do you move to recuse a judge or disqualify a judge. When the judge wants to say goodbye to the case without a pending motion, does he or she recuse him/herself or disqualify him/herself?
@9:16: You move to disqualify a judge unless she recuses herself first. You are fired from a job unless you quit first. The difference in both cases is whether you are forced out or whether you go on your own terms.
The example by 7:58 proves Rumpole's point. There are arguably two definitions to the word plea. One where "a request made in an urgent and emotional manner" per Google using Oxford English Dictionary.
The legal definition is "a formal statement by or on behalf of a defendant or prisoner, stating guilt or innocence in response to a charge, offering an allegation of fact, or claiming that a point of law should apply."
A defendant will answer the charge by entering a plea of not guilty, while the defendant's mother may make a dramatic plea for leniency at sentencing.
The past tense of the former would be pleaded while the past tense of the latter would be pled.
Why is “Rumpole said you were a simpleton” in quotes in your imaginary email?
Only the language Rumpole used should be quoted. The two words 'Rumpole said' are not part of the quote.
I believe it should be: Rumpole said "you are a simpleton!"
Exclamation within the quotes.
How does Rumpole treat commas when quoting in the middle of the sentence? Comma inside or outside the quotation?
The period ALWAYS goes inside the close of the quotation.
Pled is past tense of plead.
Post a Comment