On September 22, 1692, 8 people were hanged to death for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. These were the last victims of what became known as the Salem Witch Trials. A total of 19 people were hanged and another six died during interrogations or while in jail. Despite pleas that “spectral evidence” not be used, the accusations and trials lasted for more than a year. Spectral evidence involved the testimony of the victim who claimed to see the shape of the person who was allegedly afflicting them. The Salem court contended that people had to give their permission for the Devil to use their shape to afflict them. So if a victim identified a person as the individual afflicting them, they were guilty of being complicit with the Devil. This type of evidence is no longer allowed in the American Criminal Justice system, but occasionally still can be found in use during NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board hearings.

This was the last time that mass hysteria led to non-sensical decisions and horrible injustices in American legal history. Now go out and defund the police.