What was "spectral evidence", and when was it allowed in court?
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AntigoneRising
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Spectral evidence is a testimony of dreams or visions in court. It's usually associated with the Salem Witch Trials, where the girls would claim that they were tormented by a person, even though that person was somewhere else at the time. Example: Let's say that I claim Tom Cruise tripped me yesterday. There is proof that he was not even in my state to do so. However, I insist that I saw him do this. So now Tom Cruise is arrested for witchcraft. The "evidence" of his guilt is the fact that I saw him trip me, even though he was not here. There was a great deal of debate regarding spectral evidence and its place in court. Some said that it should be allowed as evidence. Some said it shouldn't be allowed in court, but should be allowed as a reason for an investigation. Others said that it shouldn't be allowed at all, because we don't know whether a person must give the Devil permission to use his or her form to torment people. Interestingly, there is no indication that people objected to spectral evidence on the grounds that the accuser could be lying.
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