On the record
A jury, then, in judging whether an accused person knew his act to be illegal, were bound first to use their own judgments, as to whether the act were intrinsically criminal.
Said by
Lysander Spooner
Source
gutenberg.orgLysander Spooner: “A jury, then, in judging whether an accused person knew his act to be illegal, were bound first to use their own…”
Editor's note · Context
He highlights that juries must use their judgment to assess whether an accused person recognized their act as illegal.
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And whenever any number of men, calling themselves a government, do anything to another man, or to his property, which they had no right to do as individuals they thereby declare themselves trespassers, robbers, or murderers, according to…
And nobody is bound to take the least notice of them, unless it be to trample them under foot, as usurpations.
All other laws, it is optional with each man to obey, or not, as he may choose.
The people considered their jurisprudence as a part of their inheritance.