Hey guys, I told you I’d make these available for you on the website so you could look over them… Here ya’ go!

Garid

The 21 judicial laws of the Sanhedrin which were broken at Christ‚s trial are as follows:
1.      According to Exodus 23:8, there was to be no arrest by ecclesiastical authorities that was effected by a bribe.
2.      There were to be no steps of criminal proceedings after sunset.
3.      Judges and Sanhedrin members could not participate in the arrest.
4.      There were to be no trials before the morning sacrifice.
5.      All trials were to be public: secret trials were forbidden.
6.      Sanhedrin trials were only to be held in the Hall of Judgment in the temple compound.
7.      The proper procedure for the trial was to be first the defense and then the accusation.  The judges who argued for innocence were to speak before the ones who argued for guilt.
8.      While all judges of the Sanhedrin may argue in favor of acquittal, all may not argue in favor of guilt.

9.      On the basis of Deuteronomy 19:15, there were to be two or three witnesses, and their testimonies had to be in perfect agreement.
10.  There was to be no allowance for the accused to testify against himself.
11.  Based on Leviticus 21:10, the High Priest was forbidden to tear his garments.
12.  The charges against the defendant were not to originate with the judges.  They could only investigate charges brought to them.
13.  When the charge was blasphemy, guilt could only be established if the defendant had actually pronounced the very name of God.
14.  A person could never be condemned on the basis of his own words alone.
15.  The judges‚ verdict could never be announced at night.
16.  In cases of capital punishment, the trial and the verdict of guilt could not occur at the same time.  They had to be separated by at least 24 hours.
17.  Voting for the death penalty had to be done by individual count beginning with the youngest judge so that the young would not be influenced by the elder.
18.  A unanimous decision for guilt showed innocence since it was impossible for a minimum of 23 men or a maximum of 71 men to agreed without plotting.
19.  The sentence could only be pronounced three days after the guilty verdict.
20.  Judges must always be humane and kind.
21.  A person condemned to death could not be beaten or scourged beforehand.

From: Dr. F. Kenton Beshore

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