Mock Trial - State vs. Mann

Today in my First Year Seminar class we held a mock trial. Two teams debated the case of John Mann vs, The State of North Carolina. The basis for this case was that John Mann was renting a slave (Lydia). When she tried to escape, John Mann shot her in the back as she was running away. The court fined Mann ten dollars saying that he violated his rights as a slave owner. The case made it to the Supreme Court on John Mann's appeal of the fine and his belief that the fine violated his rights.

The first round of arguments were given by The State. They made arguments on Legal Precedent and Common Law citing cases like the Hodge's case and a case in WIlliamsburg, Virginia in 1739. They also made arguments based on South Carolina law and Ethical Codes such as The Code of Hammurabi (Section 282). Despite these very convincing arguments, perhaps the strongest argument was made on the basis of Statutory Law. This argument was that the slave code of NC makes it clear that slave owner has right to punish slave and John Mann was only renting the slave so he did not truly own her.

After The State's arguments were given, the next group gave arguments on behalf of John Mann. They argued on the basis of Moral, Ethical, Religious, and Economic reasons. They really made two main point in saying that the fine violates Mann's rights as a slave owner to punish his slave and that he cannot be found guilty of committing violence against slave because slaves have no rights from their masters. And the second point that punishment for a slave is normal. Slaves have always been punished for being disobedient, if this punishment was wrong then slaves everywhere would rebel.

Read More:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10361016385136776347&q=State+vs+mann&hl=en&as_sdt=6,34