[BiglyCommentary]

John Adams defended Redcoats when he knew they were not guilty. In his new country, the principle that the law had to be truly impartial had to be upheld in practice. That took real courage to go against the howling mob. We need true patriots like that today, not cowering feckless weasels looking out only for themselves only. A pox on these lawyers.

[Cboldt]

-- the principle that the law had to be truly impartial had to be upheld in practice --

Quaint history.

[hanamizu]

“John Adams defended Redcoats when he knew they were not guilty.”

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Says a lot about the man. Took a very unpopular and public defense of the soldiers involved in the ‘Boston Massacre’. Makes quite a contrast to what passes for political leadership in this nation now. Imagine a prominent democrat leader/lawyer defending Rittenhouse for example.

Adams got the soldiers off by using a nearly obsolete plea: benefit of clergy. They were all literate and could read the 23rd Psalm (or 23rd Palm if you are Biden) which allowed them to claim clergy status. The law stipulated the plea could only be used once, so they were branded with the letter C on their thumbs. Painful, but better than a noose.