Medieval Europe's Animal Trials - Maybe They Weren't Entirely Ridiculous
"Pigs, cows, goats, horses, and dogs that allegedly broke the law were routinely subjected to the same legal proceedings as humans. In a court of law, they were treated as persons. ... What the trials strongly suggest is that pre-industrial citizens deemed the animals among them worthy of human justice primarily because they had, like humans, the free will to make basic choices." Slate 02/21/13

Posted February 26, 2013 12:45 AM