Legal Definitions - lynch

To lynch means for a group of people, often referred to as a mob, to unlawfully kill someone without any legal process or authority. This act bypasses the justice system entirely, denying the victim a trial, defense, or any form of due process. While historically often associated with hanging, the core legal definition focuses on the extrajudicial killing by a collective.

• Example 1: In a remote frontier settlement during the 19th century, a group of angry townspeople apprehended a man they suspected of cattle rustling. Without waiting for a circuit judge or any formal legal proceedings, they formed a vigilante committee and executed the man by hanging him from a sturdy oak tree.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates lynching because a group of individuals (the townspeople) killed someone (the suspected rustler) without any legal authorization or due process, acting entirely outside the established justice system.

• Example 2: During a period of intense social unrest in a fictional city, a large crowd gathered, fueled by rumors and misinformation, and accused a local shop owner of hoarding essential supplies. Overwhelmed by collective anger, the crowd attacked the shop owner, resulting in their death.

  Explanation: This constitutes lynching because a mob (the large crowd) unlawfully killed an individual (the shop owner) based on accusations, completely bypassing any legal investigation, trial, or official judgment.

• Example 3: In a region where formal governmental authority had collapsed, a community council, acting as the de facto authority, apprehended an individual accused of a serious crime. Instead of establishing a court or a formal hearing, the council and a segment of the community decided to execute the accused person immediately as a form of "justice."

  Explanation: This is an act of lynching because a group (the community council and members) killed an individual without any recognized legal authority or process, acting as an extrajudicial body to carry out a death sentence.