Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The authorized sanction of a religious rite.
- noun Exemption from trial or punishment in a civil court, given to the clergy in the Middle Ages.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun sanction by a religious rite
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chained_bear commented on the word benefit of clergy
To plead benefit of clergy was to request a one-time exemption from a mandatory death sentence for a manslaughter conviction. Virginia, like Great Britain, originally limited benefit of clergy to white men who could read. In 1732, the reading requirement was dropped and white women were made eligible. If the judges granted the motion for benefit of clergy, the accused went free, but not before a court official branded the offender's hand with a hot iron. (Preventing the claimant from receiving the benefit more than once.)
See also neck verse.
August 26, 2008