In 1386, a pig wandered into the home of its owner, in a town in northwestern France,

and it attacked a small child.

In retaliation, the people there had the pig put on trial.

It was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged in the center of town.

In that day arrived, the pig was dressed in human clothing before making the drop.

In Germany, in 1685, locals managed to kill a wolf that had been plaguing them for years.

Being a superstitious lot, they were convinced it was actually a werewolf, but since it

hadn't changed back into its human form, they dressed it up in skin-colored clothing

and put on a fake beard, and then they put it on trial.

It was naturally found guilty.

And let's not forget the packed courtroom in Oton, France back in 1506.

That's where one of the most brilliant legal minds in French history stood before the

court and argued in defense of a gang of rats.

He managed to help the creature's escape execution, but they had to sit through a stern warning

before they were set free.

Courtrooms have been around for centuries, and have tended to be the place where evidence

and testimony have been weighed on the scales of justice.

It's rarely been perfect, and it has sometimes faced bizarre moments, such as pigs or rats,

but at the end of the day, having that system in place meant having a sense of security.

Every now and then though, there was no court.

No jury to hear testimony, and no judge to make an impartial decision for the common good.

Without that light in the darkness, many communities were left struggling to handle the crimes

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