The verdict of the Supreme Judicial Court Martha was not at court when the verdict was given.
Her entry for July 12 reads,"mr Ballard attended Coart. North acquited to the great Surprise of all that I heard Speak of it." Martha's reference to "great Surprise" suggests the evidence pointed to Judge North's guilt, at least according to the opinion of the people she had heard "Speak of it," who were probably mostly women (and women were not allowed to sit on juries). What did Martha think? She does not tell us directly. But given her usual habit of referring to men by their official titles, her reference to Judge North simply as "North" is telling. It seems Martha, too, thought Judge North was guilty.
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