Good day citizens and welcome to what would Jefferson do our weekly opportunity to discuss

current American events with President Thomas Jefferson who is seated across

for me now and good day to you sir good day to you

citizen mr jefferson one of the questions that's facing our nation these

days is whether or not a president can be indicted and maybe more interesting to you

sir is whether or not a private citizen who was president can be indicted for

something he did while he was in office.

Well, I know a fair amount about this, because as you know I was President of the United States

between 181 and 189.

During that period, we acquired the Louisiana Territory and with it the city of New Orleans,

and there was a man named Edward Livingston of the great New York Livingston family who had some property

along the Mississippi River.

He sued me in 1810, so two years after I left office, for what's known in our Constitution

as a taking that his property which was on the banks and the shore of the river, but sort of within the river boundaries itself,

whether that had been taken without just compensation.

And he wanted me as the president who was in office when this event occurred, which was not done with any prejudice

against Mr Livingston, he wanted a settlement.

He wanted me to have to pay some part of the value of what was known as the Batur case.

Certainly a considerable amount for your time is my understanding.

Yes and I had had really nothing to do with this.

This was all part of the acquisition of the Louisiana

territory and it's not altogether clear what property is when it's sometimes inundated by a river like the Mississippi and sometimes not.

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