As the Encyclopedia Britannica explains, “In Western Europe procedure against animals was settled both in ecclesiastical and civil courts; in all cases they were provided with counsel, were duly summoned to appear, exceptions were taken in their favor were considered, and their sentences sometimes commuted on the grounds of relative youth, exiguity of body, or a reputation for respectability: a she-ass condemned to death in France in 1750 was pardoned because of good character.”
Source:
Stephens, John Richard. “Ignorance and Intelligence.” Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 118. Print.
I would love to have been at those trials, the farcical humor would kill me. A Judge addressing a dope faced donkey as if it knew what the fuck was going on, brilliant!