h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If thejudge at a trial only allowed yes or no to the prosecuting councils questions and he asked the prisoner .Have you stopped beating your wife . what do you think the verdict would be guilty or not guilty answers on a postcard please

The verdict would be Guilty, because the man in the dock is a prisoner, thereofre he has already been found guilty.

Or was that not the point of the question?

B

You are right .I should typed accused and not prisoner substitute the word accused for prisoner whats the verdict

It depends on what he's accused of. If it's armed robbery, I fail to see the relevance of the question. Counsel for the defence would surely object.

RF

The question put to the accused was have you stopped beating your wife.He was being charged with g b h

Regardless of whether or not he's stopped beating his wife the fact he already has done makes him guilty.

I assume he would have stopped long enough to have taken the stand.

B

The only answer he can give without declaring guilt is to remain silent. To say "No" means that he is STILL beating his wife, to say "Yes" is an admission that he HAS beaten his wife in the past....one of those questions you don't want to be faced with under pressure!

A meloncholy gentleman endevered to embark upon a scientific carrear .As he well knows that never in the history of the human race did singleness of purpose ever fail to achieve the most excellent results Who could this be i wonder. Have a guess