Magna Carta
Judge G. Keith Wisot’s chronology (letter, April 12) is incomplete. In the year 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, a young swordsman was seriously wounded after a defective breastplate fell off his armor.
The young warrior sued the Plowshare Armory for a large sum of money. He was represented by the firm of Puttemov and Stahl. His wise counsel knew that a hearing by the king might not be kind to their client, so they asked for a postponement in hopes of legal reform. The postponement was granted and the hearing delayed until a system of trial-by-peers was emplaced after the king signed the Magna Carta in 1215. The case was settled by a sympathetic jury and the young man’s heirs awarded 32 pounds, 3 pence.
LEONA DAVISON
Encinitas
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