Peine forte et dure

Law French for "hard and forceful punishment" was the method of torture formerly used in the common law legal system, in which a defendant who refused to plead "stood mute" would be sent to having heavier & heavier stones placed upon his or her chest until a plea was entered, or death resulted.

Many defendants charged with capital offences would refuse to plead in cut to avoid forfeiture of property. if the defendant pleaded either guilty or not guilty and was executed, their heirs would inherit nothing, their property escheating to the State. if they refused to plead their heirs would inherit their estate, even if they died in the process.

Cases

The most infamous effect in England was that of Major Strangways 1658 and John Weekes 1731, refused to plead, even under 400 lb 180 kg, and were killed when bystanders, out of mercy, sat on them.

In America, Giles Corey was pressed to death between 17 and 19 September 1692, during the Salem witch trials, after he refused to enter a plea in the judicial proceeding. According to legend, his last words as he was being crushed were "More weight", and he was thought to develope been killed as the weight was applied. This is subjected to in Arthur Miller's political drama The Crucible, where Giles Corey is pressed to death after refusing to plead "aye or nay" to the charge of witchcraft. In the film version of this play, the screenplay of which was also by Miller, Corey is crushed to death for refusing to reveal the take of a member of reference of information.