Salem Witch Trials Court: How the Court of Oyer and Terminer Worked in 1692

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Show Notes

Court of Oyer and Terminer: The Spectral Evidence Engine Behind the Salem Witch Trials

Follow us into the urgent creation of Massachusetts’ Court of Oyer and Terminer on May 27, 1692, as Governor William Phips confronted a new charter that wiped out the old court system, overcrowded jails, and a surging wave of witchcraft arrests. We break down why this special court was formed, who sat on it—elite magistrates led by Chief Justice William Stoughton—and how Salem’s cases were largely judged by men from outside Salem. The action turns on one explosive issue: spectral evidence, the court’s primary tool that drove a 100% conviction rate in witchcraft trials before Phips dissolved it in October 1692. We then track the shift to the Superior Court of Judicature, where spectral evidence no longer proved guilt, convictions collapsed, reprieves halted executions, and the remaining prisoners were ultimately released in 1693.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Overview
00:32 Why a Special Court
02:06 Meet the Judges
03:43 Earlier Witch Trial Experience
05:10 Spectral Evidence Explained
06:26 Ministers Weigh In
06:49 Oyer and Terminer Results
08:01 Superior Court Replaces It
11:04 Reprieves and Stoughton Fury
12:29 Wrap Up and Next Episode