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CULPRIT

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 618 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CULPRIT , properly the prisoner at the See also:

bar, one accused of a See also:crime; so used, generally, of one guilty of an offence. In origin the word is a See also:combination of two Anglo-See also:French legal words, culpable, guilty, and prit or prist, i.e. prest, Old French for pret, ready. On the prisoner at the bar See also:pleading not guilty," the clerk of the See also:crown answered " culpable," and stated that he was ready (prest) to join issue. The words cul. prist (or prit) were then entered on the See also:roll as showing that issue had been joined. When French See also:law terms were discontinued the words were taken as forming one word addressed to the prisoner. The See also:formula " Culprit, how will you be tried ?" in See also:answer to a plea of "not guilty," is first found in the trial for See also:murder of the 7th See also:earl of See also:Pembroke in 1678.

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