• unemployedclaquer
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    3 months ago

    That is interesting that it has bespoke legal definitions. The Wikipedia entry is what I expected

    Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an extreme form of informal group social control, and it is often conducted with the

    • catloaf@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Yes, legal definitions vary a lot by jurisdiction. “Assault and battery” is probably the most varied. Some places they’re two separate things.

    • StaticFalconar@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I guess based on that definition, since it wasn’t proven yet that a group of people did this, it does not meet the criteria.

      • unemployedclaquer
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        3 months ago

        A group could be three dudes in Klan robes. I haven’t seen anything yet indicating that applies here. But the history of Deep South racism is also a history of terrorism. It only takes three homicidal maniacs to terrify a county.