In reading for class this morning I came across an amazing passage. 49 states in the United States are based off of the English Common Law system, Louisiana is based off of a combination of French, Spanish, and Voodoo law.
In the Middle Ages in England, there were no trials by jury. They actually had much more efficient and logical means of deciding trials.
The First method: The ordeal by Deity
"The accused had to perform a task imposed upon him by the judges. If he performed it to their satisfaction, it was assumed that God was on his side, and that he was innocent."
The Second Method: The ordeal by Fire
"The accused had to carry a piece of hot iron in his hand for a number of steps, or he was required to pick a stone out of boiling water. After the wound was inflicted, a priest bound up the injured hand or arm. If it healed cleanly after three days, the person in question was deemed innocent. If there was a blister as large as half a walnut or more, he was convicted."
I shit you not, this is actually how trials were decided.
If the blister ain't bigger than a walnut, you have to acquit. -Judge in O.J. Simpson trial
Mis Hermanos y Yo
17 years ago
1 comment:
Hopefully, centuries from now, law students will say:
Even into the twenty-first century, if you had the money and resources, you didn't even have to go to trial!
Post a Comment