http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1671
Here are some one liners...
A Jury of Penn's Peers and Jury Nullification -- This is an early example of jury nullification and habeus corpus.
Making a Grab for the Family Jewels -- The Crown Jewels are stolen.
A Jury of Penn's Peers and Jury Nullification
Thousands of Quakers fill English prisons. In some cells, they are packed cheek to jowl, and the Quakers have refused any comfort. Their crimes are refusing to take oaths and not attending Anglican services. (To be fair, a few of them have been disruptive, but even the worst of them would never rate prison time in the modern day.) In 1668, William Penn (the guy that Pennsylvania will one day be named after) was thrown into the Tower of London for criticizing all the major religions except for the Quakers. Penn is a Quaker. He is finally released and unrepentant. He tests the new London laws against unlawful assembly, and is put on trail with a jury of his peers but Penn is denied a defense and the judge sequesters the jury without food and water until they bring a verdict of "guilty". In an act of jury nullification, the jury finds Penn "not guilty." Nevertheless, Penn is thrown into prison... ALONG WITH THE JURY! The jury is also fined the equivalent of a year's salary. In the end, Penn and the jury are released. William Penn writes another pamphlet that is published this year entitled, The Great Case of Liberty of Conscience. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
In a case of jury nullification, a jury should be allowed to rule without fear of government reprisal. Also habeus corpus became a legal precedent... that is... the right of a citizen to report his own unlawful detention before a court of law. The term habeus corpus means "produce the body" which are the first few words of the writ demanding that the plaintiff come before the court. British law, as one would recognize it today, is still coming together and this is how it happens... not with intellectual consideration and careful, reasoned debate but by goofing things up left and right and realizing that we all have to do things better... a lot better. On a different note, if the King seemed distant and unconcerned in this episode, that is because he was too busy whoring... uh.. I mean... tending to his personal business. His subjects were so upset with his public folly that they would protest in the street which may explain why public assembly was outlawed. The Queen actually fainted when King Charles the 2nd introduced her to one of his mistresses. Obviously, he was leaving the administrative and legal details of governing to his ministers. [7]
In a case of jury nullification, a jury should be allowed to rule without fear of government reprisal. Also habeus corpus became a legal precedent... that is... the right of a citizen to report his own unlawful detention before a court of law. The term habeus corpus means "produce the body" which are the first few words of the writ demanding that the plaintiff come before the court. British law, as one would recognize it today, is still coming together and this is how it happens... not with intellectual consideration and careful, reasoned debate but by goofing things up left and right and realizing that we all have to do things better... a lot better. On a different note, if the King seemed distant and unconcerned in this episode, that is because he was too busy whoring... uh.. I mean... tending to his personal business. His subjects were so upset with his public folly that they would protest in the street which may explain why public assembly was outlawed. The Queen actually fainted when King Charles the 2nd introduced her to one of his mistresses. Obviously, he was leaving the administrative and legal details of governing to his ministers. [7]
Making a Grab for the Family Jewels
Thomas Blood is the first to attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England. The Crown Jewels are on display in the Tower of London and can be viewed for a small fee. Thomas disguises himself as a parson and with his accomplice (a woman pretending to be his wife) visit the Jewels. His "wife" fakes an illness, and while finding a place for her to lay down, Thomas Blood ingratiates himself to the Keeper of the Jewels. After some time, Thomas makes arrangements for the Keeper's daughter to marry Thomas's nonexistent son. At a dinner to settle the details, Thomas hits the Keeper over the head with a mallet and ties him up. Then he grabs the crown and wacks it with the same mallet so that it will fit under his cloak. Meanwhile, the Keeper gets loose and cries for help. Blood and his accomplices run... crying for help to catch the thieves! Thomas drops the crown and keeps on running. Eventually he is caught. For reasons lost to history, King Charles the 2nd pardons him and grants him land in Ireland. [8]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
The people really hated Cromwell, and gave up the dream of a republic for King Charles the 2nd. They are regretting it, but they will wish for the return of King Charles after his brother, James, takes the throne in 1685. James was Catholic and you can bet that went over like a lead balloon. Regarding the actual theft of the Jewels, I was told by a private detective that the best thing to shout when you want people to come to your aid is "Fire!" People will look your way and react more sensibly than if you shout "Stop Thief!" or "Help me!" [9]
The people really hated Cromwell, and gave up the dream of a republic for King Charles the 2nd. They are regretting it, but they will wish for the return of King Charles after his brother, James, takes the throne in 1685. James was Catholic and you can bet that went over like a lead balloon. Regarding the actual theft of the Jewels, I was told by a private detective that the best thing to shout when you want people to come to your aid is "Fire!" People will look your way and react more sensibly than if you shout "Stop Thief!" or "Help me!" [9]
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