judicial factors Flashcards
(14 cards)
What were courts responsible for during witch trials?
Interrogations, trials, and sentencing
Courts included both secular and ecclesiastical types.
What legal innovation allowed for the use of torture in trials?
Inquisitorial procedures
These procedures were designed to extract confessions.
What was required to establish guilt in a capital crime?
Testimony of at least two eyewitnesses or confession of the accused
In witchcraft cases, producing two witnesses was often challenging.
What was the effect of torture on conviction rates?
When torture was used, conviction rates could be as high as 9%
In contrast, without torture, the conviction rate in England was below 40%.
What is the strappado?
A method of torture that rips muscles and tendons
It often resulted in dislocated shoulders.
What was a significant consequence of using torture during witch trials?
Torture led to chain-reaction hunts
This means that confessions obtained through torture could initiate further accusations.
What awareness existed regarding confessions obtained through torture?
They could be unreliable
This awareness did not prevent the use of torture, especially after 1484.
Who was Agnes Sampson?
A woman accused of witchcraft during the North Berwick Witch Trials
Her case was influenced by King James VI’s fears of witchcraft.
What type of torture was most effective in forcing confessions?
Forced sleeplessness
Fewer than 2% of victims could endure it without confessing.
In which areas were conviction rates higher during witch hunts?
Areas with weak central authority, such as Germany
Lower conviction rates were observed in England and Spain.
What was the Malleus Maleficarum?
A legal and procedural guide for witch trials
Published in 1487, it influenced witch-hunt practices.
What did the Carolina Code of 1532 authorize?
Severe punishments for witchcraft
This code formalized laws against witchcraft in the Holy Roman Empire.
How did societal fears and religious ideologies affect the judiciary during witch hunts?
Judiciary often acted under pressure from these factors
This suggests that the legal system was influenced by broader societal concerns.
