ViceAdmiralty Courts

1
Vice-Admiralty Courts

• Cases of colonists violating the Navigation Acts
  eventually led to creation of these courts.
• Smugglers were tried in vice-admiralty courts
  instead of colonial courts.

2
Vice-Admiralty Courts

• Why were these courts created?
• Colonial juries were not convicting fellow
  colonists of smuggling.
• Colonists were sympathetic.
• They did not agree with the trade restrictions.
• Many colonists were smugglers themselves!

3
Vice-Admiralty Courts

• Why were these courts created?
• vice-admiralty courts were heard by a
  crown-appointed judge instead of a colonial jury.

4
How do vice-admiralty courts lead to problems
(and eventually revolution)?

• Colonists are angry because their right to a
  trial by jury is being taken away.
• Colonists believe the vice-admiralty judges were
  biased.
• Judges got 5 of any goods confiscated from
  convicted smugglers.