An Immigrant's Run-in with the Law: A Forensic Linguistic Analysis. Kristina Beckman (2007)

Abstract

In An Immigrant’s Run-in with the Law: A Forensic Linguistic Analysis, author Kristina Beckman argues convincingly that linguistic analysis can be a powerful tool when immigrants with limited English are accused of crimes. Central to the book is the compelling story of LK, a Chinese immigrant convicted of illegal practices in weapons sales. Although forensic linguistics was not admissible evidence in the trial, Beckman gained access to the transcripts of a ‘sting’ operation, used by undercover agents to prosecute LK, and analyzed them in-depth to demonstrate how much more key information a forensic linguistic analysis would have provided. LK is described as a citizen of the U.S. who immigrated in 1982 from China via Hong Kong. Through connections with his brother, LK became the proprietor of Gong’s Market, a struggling small business in Tucson, Arizona. Among the wares sold in his store were a variety of arms and ammunition, some of which showed up later at crime scenes. After tracing the weapons found at the scenes of certain crimes back to Gong’s Market, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco decided to investigate LK’s policies in gun sales to determine whether he intentionally sold guns to criminals without the requisite screening. Posing as gun buyers, members of the Bureau and other confidential informants bought guns from Gong’s Market while surreptitiously tape recording the transactions. The transcriptions of these lengthy recordings are included in an appendix to the volume and form the basis for the analysis conducted by Beckman.