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Author Topic: "No bills were found"  (Read 356 times)

Offline JosephusSapon

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"No bills were found"
« on: Friday 27 August 21 14:13 BST (UK) »
I've seen this expression a lot in court records from ~200 years ago.  In each case the person accused is let off.  Does "bills" in such cases mean "evidence"? 

Offline Erato

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Re: "No bills were found"
« Reply #1 on: Friday 27 August 21 14:25 BST (UK) »
No true bill = no probable cause for indictment; there was insufficient evidence to charge any crime
Wiltshire:  Banks, Taylor
Somerset:  Duddridge, Richards, Barnard, Pillinger
Gloucestershire:  Barnard, Marsh, Crossman
Bristol:  Banks, Duddridge, Barnard
Down:  Ennis, McGee
Wicklow:  Chapman, Pepper
Wigtownshire:  Logan, Conning
Wisconsin:  Ennis, Chapman, Logan, Ware
Maine:  Ware, Mitchell, Tarr, Davis

Offline JosephusSapon

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Re: "No bills were found"
« Reply #2 on: Friday 27 August 21 14:52 BST (UK) »
Wow, that was fast.  Thanks for the clarification: Googling "no true bill" led to some useful sites.

JS 
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