Legal Definitions - male creditus

Male creditus is a historical legal term that refers to an individual who is in bad repute or is generally untrusted. It describes a person whose character or past actions have led to a loss of credibility and public confidence, making them unreliable in the eyes of the community or the law.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of male creditus:

• A Discredited Witness: Imagine a scenario in a historical court where a person known to have repeatedly lied under oath in previous trials, or who had a documented history of fraud, was called to give testimony. This individual would be considered male creditus. Their established pattern of dishonesty would mean that their statements, even if true in the current instance, would be viewed with extreme skepticism and likely dismissed by the court and jury due to their inherent untrustworthiness.

• A Merchant with a Tarnished Reputation: Consider a merchant in a bustling marketplace who has a long-standing reputation for selling defective goods, short-changing customers, or failing to honor agreements. Over time, other traders and customers would learn of these practices. This merchant would become male creditus, meaning they would be untrusted in business dealings, and others would be reluctant to engage in commerce with them, fearing deceit or loss.

• A Public Figure Losing Community Trust: In a small, close-knit historical community, if a prominent citizen, perhaps a local leader or elder, was discovered to have secretly betrayed a public trust—for instance, by misusing communal funds or spreading malicious rumors that caused significant harm—they would become male creditus. Even if legal consequences were minimal, their standing in the community would be irreparably damaged, and their words and intentions would forever be met with suspicion and distrust by their fellow citizens.