Penn, William - Jury Goes to Prison

The question is not,
whether I am Guilty of this Indictment,
but whether this Indictment be legal.

William Penn
Trial of William Penn (1670)
6 Howell's State Trials, Page 951

 

Juries today listen to a phrase they don't believe:

You shall deliberate this case,
without food and water,
until you reach a verdict.

One can imagine the average juror's reaction:

Right! I don't think so!!

Typical response from a modern juror. In today's world, who would actually think a judge could order folks not to eat or drink until they decided a case? But in years past, it is exactly what would be expected. It is exactly what happened to William Penn's jury. That and much, much more.

Author: Carole D. Bos, J.D.