User:Geolenne12/sandbox

This will be the shared sandbox for everyone working on the Robert A. Leonard article. Everyone should link from their own personal sandbox page to this sandbox, so that you can all coordinate your work together.

For Sunday, everyone working on this article will update this shared sandbox with info about: I've created some major headings below to help you all organize your work. Don't forget to sign off on your work with the four tildes so we know who contributed what!Cakers01 (talk) 17:54, 29 March 2019 (UTC)
 * 1) what you plan to contribute to this article. Remember, there are two key strategies you can take for working on your article: you can focus on issues related to authorship, such as checking carefully for citation or plagiarism issues or revising phrases or sentences to create a more cohesive voice for the overall article; or, you can focus on issues related to how we present information to the public, such as crafting sentences to make them more comprehensible using the kinds of features Tiersma wrote about regarding jury instructions.
 * 2) At least two new reliable sources for a reference list.

Planned Contributions
For this article, I want to work on the citation/reference list issues. Looking over it briefly, I see that some sources are kind of vague or not properly cited. There is also the case where a source is cited twice within the section, so this can be fixed as well. In its current state, the reference section looks messy, and this can create difficulties if someone wanted to get more information about Leonard but didn't know where to look because of this. Additionally, I would like to check the accuracy and strength of these sources to see if they are reliable. Laura.faraci (talk) 19:57, 31 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Reference section items need to be fixed.

For this article, I want to focus on the two first sections. For the introduction section, there are citations missing especially for the last sentence. Also, the definition for forensic linguistics is not specific enough. I came across other articles with a better and clear definition for forensic linguistics that I would like to add. This is important because not everyone knows what linguistics is and a clear definition would give them a better understanding. For the Biography section, there were citations missing again so I would like to add the correct citations. There is something quoted but it is not cited correctly and brackets were added. I would like to cite that sentence and see if the brackets are even necessary. In addition, some sentences were written with too many commas so I would like to break them into smaller sentences. The third sentence seems confusing because of the way it is structured so I would like to rewrite it. The information mentioned by TIME magazines about Leonard being the second smartest rock star sounds more like a personal opinion and it should not be included on the page. Lastly, I would like to add what he research has been focused on because it is not just about forensic linguistics but specific research on language, food behavior, and public space. Geolenne12 (talk) 00:45, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

For today's task, I did some minor changes to the sentences for the biography. However, I am trying to fix the citations for some of the sentences in the introduction and biography. I am finding a difficult time with adding new citations. Also, I am trying to find an easier definition for forenscic linguisitics. I just feel that the one on the page is not clear enough and uses terms that are hard to understand. Geolenne12 (talk) 02:35, 8 April 2019 (UTC)

Zoya Jaweed's ideas
The article has sections where passive construction is being used. This is seen in the Career section of the article. The use of passive instruction makes the article more impersonal and difficult to understand. Also, there is technical terminology that members of the public may not know the meaning of. In the Career section, it is important to go over what "allegedly condoned" means and give a more thorough explanation of it. Individuals who may have no experience with legal terms may struggle to understand what the article is saying.It is also important to avoid using multiple embedding, which was used often in the Career section. This article was made of the public to read, therefore, it should be explained and phrased the proper way. Zj56 (talk) 19:34, 30 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Style of article needs to be revised so it can be natural language.

Draft Article- focused on changing passive voice to active one. Also, changed some legal terms to more basic ones so public can understand easily. The Murder of Charlene Hummert: Leonard testified that the writing of Charlene's husband Brian Hummert matched the letters supposedly sent by a stalker to Charlene Hummert. Leonard's explanation was partially based on the contraction patterns of positive and negative statements. Brian Hummert was guilty of the murder.
 * The Tennessee Facebook Murders: Leonard testified that a supposed CIA agent named "Chris", who presumably accepted the murders as a CIA hit, wrote a series of Facebook messages that were consistent with the writing patterns of the two suspects, Jenelle and Barbara Potter. Leonard's analysis explained partially the use of the peculiar placement of quotation marks ; in this case, the beginning of the sentence contained a single quote, but the end contained a double quote. The complicit in the murders were both Jenelle and Barbara Potter.
 * Featured on many TV shows such as The Forensic Files: A Tight Leash, Uncovering the Truth: Byron Case and Michael Politte Exoneration Cases on MTV, and Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee on Investigation Discovery.
 * Presented "The Groundbreaking Science of Forensic Linguistics" at the Polyglot Conference in 2015.

Leonard founded and directs the graduate program in "Linguistics: Forensic Linguistics" at Hofstra University, where he is the Professor of Linguistics.

He previously taught at Columbia. The New Yorker wrote that Leonard “has emerged as one of the foremost language detectives in the country,” and jocularly termed him “a Sam Spade of semantics.” Newsday characterized him as “Professor Henry Higgins meets Sherlock Holmes.” Leonard's forensic linguistic consulting clients have included the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, the FBI, Federal Public Defenders offices, and the Prime Minister of Canada.

The Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI recruited Leonard to train agents in forensic linguistic analysis at Quantico, and he has trained British law enforcement units in London. He was Apple's linguist in its civil trademark cases against both Microsoft and Amazon. Salon pointed out that Leonard came from quite a different former career path: “’I like to say I’m one of the very few people in the world who have worked with the FBI and the Grateful Dead,’ quips Leonard, who has trained FBI agents in how to analyze language for clues in solving crimes.” Zj56 (talk) 17:35, 7 April 2019 (UTC)Zoya JaweedZj56 (talk) 17:35, 7 April 2019 (UTC)

Zj56 (talk) 17:37, 7 April 2019 (UTC) Zoya JaweedZj56 (talk) 17:37, 7 April 2019 (UTC)

Zj56 (talk) 23:18, 15 April 2019 (UTC)Zoya's RevisionsZj56 (talk) 23:18, 15 April 2019 (UTC) The Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI recruited Leonard to train agents in forensic linguistic analysis at Quantico, and he has trained British law enforcement units in London. He was Apple's linguist in its civil trademark cases against both Microsoft and Amazon. Salon pointed out that Leonard came from quite a different former career path. Leonard was fortunate enough to have worked with the FBI and the Grateful Dead since he trained FBI agents in how to analyze language for clues in solving crimes.”

Biography
While he was working on his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, Leonard and his brother George, became part of the school's a cappella group. In 1969, the doo-wop band Sha Na Na was born when George suggested changing the style of the group to a faux Brooklyn thug style, with slicked back hair and white shirts. Leonard, the bass singer of the band, sang the lead on “Teen Angel” when the band opened for their friend Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. Leonard became very popular during his short music career, however, he decided that his true passion was studying linguistics. Leonard spent two years with the band, until he stopped at the age of 21. He did so in order to further both his education and his passion, linguistics, with a fellowship at Columbia Graduate School. Zj56 (talk) 23:08, 15 April 2019 (UTC)Zoya's RevisionsZj56 (talk)

Laura's ideas
Draft: Leonard is qualified as an Expert Witness in Linguistics in 12 States, and 6 Federal District Courts (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, and in U.S. District Courts in Newark, NJ, Austin, TX, New York, NY, San Jose, CA, Tampa, FL, and Denver, CO) and has also testified before World Bank ICSID Tribunals in Washington, DC, and Paris. In addition, he knows how to speak and read several varieties of Swahili, as well as French and Spanish. He knows how to read Italian, and has structural knowledge of Giriama, Kamba, Rabai, Pokomo (Kenya); Shona (Zimbabwe); Thai, and Arabic.
 * add citations

Featured on many TV shows such as The Forensic Files: A Tight Leash, Uncovering the Truth: Byron Case and Michael Politte Exoneration Cases on MTV, and Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee on Investigation Discovery. original: 12 ^https://abcnews.go.com/US/social-media-feud-led-murder-young-tennessee-couple/story?id=34346840
 * fix citation

new:

---

original: While he was working on his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, Leonard and his brother George, became part of the school's a cappella group.In 1969, the doo-wop band Sha Na Na was born when George suggested changing the style of the group to a faux Brooklyn thug style, with slicked back hair and white shirts. Leonard, who was the bass singer of the band, sang the lead on “Teen Angel” when the band opened for their friend Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. Leonard was rated by TIME magazine as the second-smartest rock star in history: "[He] opened for Jimi Hendrix [at Woodstock]...but music stardom held little appeal for Leonard, who traded limousines and gold-lamé suits to pursue studies in linguistics." Leonard spent two years with the band, until he stopped at the age of 21. He did so in order to further both his education and his passion, linguistics, with a fellowship at Columbia Graduate School.
 * improving comprehension (changing phrases, deleting unnecessary words, etc.)

new: While he was working on his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, Leonard and his brother George became part of the school's a cappella group. In 1969, the doo-wop band Sha Na Na was born when George suggested changing the style of the group to a faux Brooklyn thug style, with slicked back hair and white shirts. Leonard, who was the bass singer of the band, sang the lead on “Teen Angel” when the band opened for their friend Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. Leonard was rated by TIME magazine as the second-smartest rock star in history: "[He] opened for Jimi Hendrix [at Woodstock]...but music stardom held little appeal for Leonard, who traded limousines and gold-lamé suits to pursue studies in linguistics." Leonard spent two years with the band until the age of 21 in order to further both his education and his passion, linguistics, with a fellowship at Columbia Graduate School.

original: Robert A. Leonard has assisted in solving many cases. These are just a few of the cases upon which he has worked and how he helped solve them:

new: Robert A. Leonard has assisted in solving many cases. Examples include:

original: Leonard founded and directs the graduate program in "Linguistics: Forensic Linguistics" at Hofstra University, where he is the Professor of Linguistics.

He previously taught at Columbia. The New Yorker wrote that Leonard “has emerged as one of the foremost language detectives in the country,” and jocularly termed him “a Sam Spade of semantics.” Newsday characterized him as “Professor Henry Higgins meets Sherlock Holmes.” Leonard's forensic linguistic consulting clients have included the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, the FBI, Federal Public Defenders offices, and the Prime Minister of Canada.

new: Leonard founded and directs the graduate program in "Linguistics: Forensic Linguistics" at Hofstra University, where he is the Professor of Linguistics. He previously taught at Columbia.

The New Yorker wrote that Leonard “has emerged as one of the foremost language detectives in the country,” and jocularly termed him “a Sam Spade of semantics.” Newsday characterized him as “Professor Henry Higgins meets Sherlock Holmes.” Leonard's forensic linguistic consulting clients have included the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, the FBI, Federal Public Defenders offices, and the Prime Minister of Canada.

Laura.faraci (talk) 23:59, 14 April 2019 (UTC)

Geolenne's Ideas
Robert A. Leonard is an American linguist. He is best known for his work in forensic linguistics, which relates to investigating problems of the law by using the study of language. This includes analyzing legal material work such as notes, audio and video tape recordings, contracts, and confessions. Prior to his academic career, Leonard was a founding member of the rock band Sha Na Na and performed at Woodstock.

Biography
While he was working on his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, Leonard and his brother George, became members of the school's a cappella group. In 1969, the doo-wop band Sha Na Na was born when George suggested changing the style of the group to a faux Brooklyn thug style, with slicked back hair, and white shirts. Leonard, who was the bass singer of the band, sang the lead on “Teen Angel” when the band opened for their friend Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. Leonard was listed by TIME magazine as one of the top ten smartest musicians. Leonard spent two years with the band, until he stopped at the age of twenty-one. He left the band because he was offered a fellowship at Columbia Graduate School and wanted to further his education in linguistics.

Final Edits
Laura:

new: Robert A. Leonard has assisted in solving many cases. Examples include:

new: Leonard founded and directs the graduate program in "Linguistics: Forensic Linguistics" at Hofstra University, where he is the Professor of Linguistics. He previously taught at Columbia.

The New Yorker wrote that Leonard “has emerged as one of the foremost language detectives in the country,” and jocularly termed him “a Sam Spade of semantics.” Newsday characterized him as “Professor Henry Higgins meets Sherlock Holmes.” Leonard's forensic linguistic consulting clients have included the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, the FBI, Federal Public Defenders offices, and the Prime Minister of Canada.

Laura.faraci (talk) 20:57, 21 April 2019 (UTC)

Sources/ Reference List
Leonard, Robert A. "Linguistics and the Law: The science of analyzing words and symbols can add weight to your case". Washington, D.C. Legal Times. Retrieved 31 March 2019.

Behm, Rachel E. "Interpreting Power: Powerful and Powerless Language in Interpreter-Mediated Courtroom Discourse". ProQuest. Retrieved 31 March 2019.

Laura.faraci (talk) 20:27, 31 March 2019 (UTC)

·Leonard, Robert. "The International Journal of the Humanities Forensic Linguistics." Australia:Common Ground Publishing, 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2019.

·Hasslet, Vincent. "Handbook of Behavioral Criminology." Forensic Linguistics p.437-449 Switzerland:Springer Nature, 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2019.

Geolenne12 (talk) 01:22, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Zoya's Sources
Zj56 (talk) 01:38, 31 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Leonard, R. A. (2008). Creating language crimes: How law enforcement uses (and misuses) language (review). Language 84(4), 897-900. Linguistic Society of America. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from Project MUSE database.
 * Hitt, J. (2012). WORDS ON TRIAL. The New Yorker, 88(21), n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1027572761/