Crime and Punishment

• crimes were in three categories: crimes against the person, crimes against property, crimes against authority
• Anglo Saxon punishments have two aims: deterrence and retribution
• serious crimes such as murder, theft and arson could mean punishment by death. (hanging or beheading)
• lesser crimes such as making false accusations could be punished by mutation
• crimes committed by slaves was usually punished by flogging
• for murder or deliberate injury the accused would have to pay the victim or family a fine (man price)
• the wergild prevented future bloodshed by preventing blood feuds which could last decades
• in Anglo Saxon times their were no police so the king relied on representatives of the people to keep order. with earls, shire-reeves and reeves
• earls - powerful noblemen who were responsible for enforcing the law on their land (earldoms). they hired local representatives such as shire-reeves
• shire-reeves were noblemen governing a shire they summon local men "posse comitatus" to run shire courts and collect fines.
• Reeves- enforce land in shires they settled disputes (arguments between neighbors) in hundred courts
• hue and cry - a loud cry or shout for help, especially to catch someone who is a criminal everyone around had to help
• tithings - small group of men aged 12+ who were responsible for each others behavior. tithing was fined if they didn't bring accused member forward.
• local people were important in Anglo Saxon trials. the accused and accuser had to provide witness
• compurgation - if the witness agreed a crime was committed the accused could have a trial by compurgation. they had to swear an oath of innocence and get a certain number of local people to say they were innocent
• if the accused failed the compurgation they could have a trial by ordeal: trial by boiling water, trial by cold water, trial by hot iron
• trial by boiling water: used for men had to plunge hand in boiling water, if the wound was healing in 3 days they were innocent
• William introduced the murdrum to protect Normans from violence. if the attacker wasn't found the local Anglo-Saxons would have to pay
• he introduced forest laws which made large areas of land part of the 'royal forest' stopping ordinary people from hunting or gathering food
• William introduced a new crime of poaching - hunting on someone elses land
• those accused of poaching could be blinded or have their fingers cut off so they couldn't draw a bow