This consideration is sufficient, of itself, to prove that the laws of the king were of no authority over a jury, in either civil or criminal cases, unless the juries regarded the laws as just in themselves.
Spooner argues that juries must view the king's laws as just for them to hold any authority over their decisions.
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They are every day committing errors, which would be crimes, but for their ignorance of the law.
And he can rightfully be held to no greater knowledge of the law than this.
But there is no reason why a judge should have the power of punishing, for contempt, any more than for any other offence.
The presumption clearly is that all were eligible.