State v. Mann Mock Trial - Audience (What I learned)

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John Mann was fined 10 dollars for shooting a female slave that he had under contract in the back, he finds this unjust and unfair, getting slammed by the following arguments.


Slavery accounts for significant part of population. The prosecuting side (state of North Carolina) Claims that State v Hail set principle for this case in the fact that brutal harm upon slaves is not protected by law. Battery against a slave is a prosecutable offense, though in this scenario it is the owner in question rather than an offender who is not the owner of the slave. These prosecutors wish for the court to side with this precedent regardless of ownership status. Qualk walker case, court sided with slave as a person. Ethics lead those to believe that slaves, though property, are still people and it is wrong to commit battery or murder upon them. Prosecuting side wishes to bring the slave up to the same level of worth as the owner. This could stem into a network of cases regarding abuse and conflict between slave and slave owner.



The opposing side refutes, claiming that slaves are property, therefore owners are entitled to do with their property as they please. They argue that it is essentially the slave’s own fault for causing a need to be shot. The property needs to be protected as well as the owners from being prosecuted for their actions against the property. The constitution has not changed, slaveholding is backed up by this as well as religion, the history of catholicism has not contained scriptures with words speaking against those owning slaves. The Old testament says punishment should be only the loss of work from the slave, not prosecution for actions taken against them. Claims that while it may be illegal to shoot down another man, shooting a runaway slave would be similar to handling a thief of their property, due to the fact that they made an investment in the slave. Essentially, the slave under this argument is considered a thing, an asset, something with value of time and money whose life revolves around their work, therefore giving the owners every right to handle the slaves as needed. The defendant side wishes to maintain the power stance of the owner above the slave.


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