Anglo-Saxon law Anglo-Saxon law ( Old English ''ǣ'', later ''lagu'' "law"; dōm "decree, judgment") is a body of written rules and customs that were in place during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, before the Norman conquest. This body of law, along with earl ...

, backberend (also spelled backberende or back-berande) and handhabend (also spelled hand-habend or hand-habende) were terms applied to a thief who was found having the stolen goods in his possession. The terms are respectively derived from "bearing thingupon the back" and "having thingin the hand".John Bouvier, ''A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America'', J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, 15th ed., 1883. The thief himself was a hontfongenethef, meaning "a thief taken with handhabend"; i.e., captured while holding the stolen item in his hand, later described as "red-handed".Henry C. Black, ''Black's Law Dictionary'', 4th ed. 1968. By extension, ''handhabend and backberend'' also means the

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. Ju ...

to try a thief caught with the property in question. A thief so caught could be given a trial of a more summary nature.'' Laws of Henry I'', chap. 59; Laws of Aethelstane, § 6; Fleta, ''lib.'' 1, chap. 38, § 1; Britton p. 72; DuCange, ''Handhabenda''. Almost any theft could be a

felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that res ...

, and the death penalty might be applied.

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