Early American Law
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First Manslaughter Trial: Walter Palmer’s 1630 Verdict
In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony convened what the book identifies as its first manslaughter trial. William Rockwell appears as one of twelve jurors in the case involving Walter Palmer and the death of Austen Bratcher, with court dates spanning September 28 through November 9, 1630. By late September 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was