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Unit1ABrushwiththeLawAyoungmanfindsthatstrollingalongthestreetswithoutanobviouspurposecanleadtotroublewiththelaw.Onemisunderstandingleadstoanotheruntileventuallyhemustappearincourtfortrial……Ihaveonlyoncebeenintroublewiththelaw.Thewholeprocessofbeingarrestedandtakentocourtwasaratherunpleasantexperienceatthetime,butitmakesagoodstorynow.Whatmakesitratherdisturbingwasthearbitrarycircumstancesbothofmyarrestandmysubsequentfateincourt.InhappenedinFebruaryabouttwelveyearsago.IhadleftschoolacoupleofmonthsbeforethatandwasnotduetogotouniversityuntilthefollowingOctober.Iwasstilllivingathomeatthetime.OnemorningIwasinRichmond,asuburbofLondonnearwhereIlived.IwaslookingforatemporaryjobsothatIcouldsaveupsomemoneytogotravelling.AsitwasafinedayandIwasinnohurry,Iwastakingmytime,lookinginshopwindows,strollinginthepark,andsometimesjuststoppingandlookingaroundme.Itmusthavebeenthisobviousaimlessnessthatledtomydownfall.Itwasabouthalfpastelevenwhenithappened.Iwasjustwalkingoutofthelocallibrary,havingunsuccessfullysoughtemploymentthere,whenIsawamanwalkingacrosstheroadwiththeobviousintentionoftalkingtome.Ithoughthewasgoingtoaskmethetime.Instead,hesaidhewasapoliceofficerandhewasarrestingme.AtfirstIthoughtitwassomekindofjoke.Butthenanotherpolicemanappeared,thistimeinuniform,andIwasleftinnodoubt.'Butwhatfor?'Iasked.Wanderingwithintenttocommitanarrestableoffence,'hesaid.'Whatoffence?'Iasked.'Theft,'hesaid.'Theftofwhat?'Iasked.'Milkbottles,'hesaid,andwithaperfectlystraightfacetoo!'Oh,'Isaid.Itturnedouttherehadbeenalotofpettytheftsinthearea,particularlythatofstealingmilkbottlesfromdoorsteps.ThenImademybigmistake.AtthetimeIwasnineteen,hadlonguntidyhair,andregardedmyselfaspartofthesixties''youthcountercultrue.Asaresult,Iwanttoappearcoolandunconcernedwiththeincident,soIsaid,'Howlonghaveyoubeenfollowingme?'inthemostcasualandconversationtoneIcouldmanage.Ithusappearedtothemtobequitefamiliarwiththissortofsituation,anditconfirmedthemintheirbeliefthatIwasathoroughlydisreputablecharacter.Afewminuteslaterapolicecararrived.'Getintheback,theysaid.'Putyourhandsonthebackofthefrontseatanddon'tmovethem.'Theygotinoneithersideofme.Iwasn'tfunnyanymore.Atthepolicestationtheyquestionedmeforseveralhours.Icontinuedtotrytolookworldlyandaufaitwiththesituation.WhentheyaskedmewhatIhadbeendoing,ItoldthemI'dbeenlookingforajob.'Aha,'Icouldseethemthinking,'unemployed'.Eventually,IwasofficiallychargedandtoldtoreporttoRichmondMagistrates'CourtthefollowingMonday.Thentheyletmego.Iwantedtoconductmyowndefenceincourt,butassoonasmyfatherfoundoutwhathadhappened,hehiredaverygoodsolicitor.WewentalongthatMondayarmedwithallkindsofwitnesses,includingmyEnglishteacherfromschoolasacharacterwitness.Buthewasnevercalledontogiveevidence.My'trial'didn'tgetthatfar.Themagistratedismissedthecaseafterfifteenminutes.Iwasfree.Thepoorpolicehadneverstoodachance.Thesolicitorevensucceededingettingcostsawardedagainstthepolice.AndsoIdonothaveacriminalrecord.Butwhatwasmostshockingatthetimewasthethingsmyreleasefromthechargesoclearlydependedon.Ihadthe'right'accent,respectablemiddle-classparentsincourt,reliablewitnesses,andIcouldobviouslyaffordaverygoodsolicitor.Giventheobscurenatureofthecharge,IfeelsurethatifIhadcomefromadifferentbackground,andhadreallybeenunemployed,thereiseverychancethatIwouldhavebeenfoundguilty.Whileaskingforcoststobeawarded,mysolicitor'scasequiteobviouslyrevolvedaroundthefactthatIhada'brilliantacademicrecord'.Meanwhile,justoutsidethecourtroom,oneofthepolicemenwhohadarrestedmewasgloomilycomplainingtomymotherthatanotheryoungsterhadbeenturnedagainstthepolice.'Youcouldhavebeenabitmorehelpfulwhenwearrestedyou,'hesaidtomereproachfully.Whatdidthemean?PresumablythatIshouldhavelookedoutragedandsaidsomethinglike,'Lookhere,doyouknowwhoyou'retalkingto?Iamahighlysuccessfulstudentwithabrilliantacademicrecord.Howdareyouarrestme!'Thenthey,presumably,wouldhaveapologized,perhapseventakenofftheircaps,andletmeonmyway.法律小冲突一个年轻人发现，在街上漫无目的的闲逛也会带来涉及法律上的麻烦。一种误解导致另一种误解，直到最终他必须在法庭上接受审判…….我平生只有一次陷入与法律的冲突。被捕与被带上法庭的整个经过在当时是一种令人极不愉快的经历，但现在这却成为一个好故事的素材。尤其令人恼怒的是我被捕及随后在法庭上受审期间的种种武断情形。事情发生在十二年前的二月，那是我中学毕业已经几个月了，但是要等到十月份才能上大学，所以当时我仍在家中。一天上午，我来到离我住地不远的伦敦郊区的里士满，那是我正在找一份临时的工作，一边攒些钱去旅游。由于天体晴朗，有没有什么急事，我便悠然自得的看看窗店橱窗，逛逛公园，有时干脆停下来四处观望。一定是这种显然无所事事的样子使我倒了霉。事情发生在十一点半左右，当我在当地图书馆谋之未成，刚从那里出来，就看见一个人从马路对面走过来，显然是想跟我说话。我愿意为他是要问我时间。想不到他说他是警察，要逮捕我。开始我还以为这是个玩笑。但紧接着又来了一个穿着警服的警察，这下我无可置疑了。“为什么抓我？”我问。“四处游荡，有作案嫌疑，”他说。“做什么案？”我又问。“偷东西，”他说。“偷什么”我追问。“牛奶瓶”他说，表情极端严肃。“噢，”事情是这样的，这一带经常发生小偷小摸的案件，尤其是从门前台阶上偷走牛奶瓶。接着，我犯了个大错误，那是我才十九岁，留着一头乱蓬蓬的长发，自以为是六十年代“青年反主流文化”的一员。因此，我想对此表现出一副冷漠，满不在乎的态度，于是用一种很随便的无所谓的腔调说：“你们跟我多久了？”这样一来，我在他们眼里，我是惯于此种情形的，这又使他们确信我是一个彻头彻尾的坏蛋。几分钟后来了一辆警车。“坐到后面去，”他们说：“把手放在椅背上，不许乱动。”他俩分别坐在我的左右，这下可不是闹着玩的了。在警察局，他们审问了我好几个小时。我继续装着老于世故，对此种事习以为常的样子。当他们问我一直在干什么事时，我告诉他们我在找工作。“啊哈”，这下我可看到他们在想，“无业游民”。最后，我被正式指控，并得到通知下周一到里士满地方法院受审。他们这才让我走。我本想在法庭上自我辩护，但是父亲一弄清事情原委后，就为我请了一位很不错的律师。就在那个星期一，我们带着各种证人出庭了，这其中包括我的中学英语教师作为我的平行见证人。但法庭没有传唤他作证。对我的“审判”并没有进行到那一步，才开庭十五分钟，法官就驳回了此案。我被无罪释放。可怜的警察毫无胜诉的机会。我的律师甚至成功的使警察承担了诉讼费。这样，我没有留下任何犯罪记录。但当时，最令人震惊的是我被无罪释放所明显依赖的证据：我有标准的口音，有受人尊重的中产阶级父母来到法庭