State v. Mann

During our mock trial today, we discussed the the appellate court case State v. Mann from 1829. The case was about property rights for slave owners and how they impact the slaves under their possession. In the case, a man by the name of John Mann rented out a slave by the name of Lydia from her slave owner, Elizabeth Jones. By signing a contract that leases out Lydia for a year, she becomes John Mann's property during that time period. During her period of servitude to Mr. Mann, Lydia attempted to escape. In response to this, Mr. Mann shoots Lydia in the back, wounding her. When the case entered the local court system, the court originally sided with Lydia and fined Mann $10 for assault and battery.
Mann appealed the decision to the appellate court system. This court, led by judge Thomas Ruffin, looked back on the case to see if due process and the case itself, was conducted correctly. The defense's argument stated that the local court system judge broke the law in North Carolina by siding with Lydia. According to North Carolina law, when a slave attempts to escape, the owner of said slave is within their rights to take physical action against the slave, which includes killing them. In 1829, the government could not side with Lydia because she is property of Mr. Mann, the defense argued. Thomas Ruffin ended up over turning the ruling from the local court, and sided with Mann. This decision served to further engrain the institution of slavery into the culture of, not just the south, but of North Carolina specifically.