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Judgments against Peter Bronck and Steven Jansen

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President, Jacob Schermerhoom[1]
Philip Pietersen
Abraham Staets
Adriaen Gerritsen
magistrates

The officer, plaintiff, against Pieter Bronck, defendant.
The plaintiff demands that the defendant be fined ƒ100:-, according to the ordinance[2] because on the 19th of April, at the house of Henderick Bierman, he drew his knife on Harmen, the servant of Jan Tomassen, in the presence of the said Henderick Bierman and other witnesses who, being examined before the court, have testified to the same.
The defendant says that he was quite drunk and therefore can neither admit nor deny the fact.
The court, having seen the witnesses produced, condemn the defendant to pay a fine of ƒ100:- according to the ordinance.

The honorable officer, plaintiff, against Steven Janssen, defendant.
The officer says that the defendant, on the 19th of April last, at the house of Marten Bierkaker, drew his knife and wounded Seger Comelissen Wip with it in two places, as appears from the affidavit which he produces in court; demanding therefore that the defendant, according to the ordinance, be condemned to pay a fine of three hundred guilders, or to work for eighteen months in irons at hard labor.
The defendant admits having committed the deed, but claims that he was forced to do so in self-defense and promises to prove it on the next court day.

The court orders the defendant to prove his statement on the next court day.

Notes

The court session was suspended at this point so that Lamontagne could remove himself from the bench and serve in his capacity as prosecuting officer or schout, Thomassen also removes himself from the bench because of his involvement in the first case.
See LO, 62, 324, for this ordinance.

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New Netherland Documents Series: Vol. 16, part 2, Fort Orange Court Minutes, 1652-1660 (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press: 1990).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.