Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Word of the Week – Round 11!

Merriam Webster, thank you.

compurgator: one who under oath vouches for the character or conduct of an accused person

Examples:

As a compurgator, you do not have to believe in the innocence of the defendant, but you do have to feel confident speaking positively about that person's character.
"To clear himself, the defendant required corroboration from a prescribed number of compurgators or 'oath-helpers,' which varied according to the nature and severity of the accusation. Neither the defendant nor his compurgators were required to present any evidence to the court." -- From Bruce L. Benson and Paul R. Zimmerman's 2010 book Handbook on the Economics of Crime

No comments:

Post a Comment