 Briggs ' argument was used in the 1849 trial of Washington Goode , a black mariner accused of killing a rival for the affections of a lady . The case against Goode was essentially circumstantial , but the jury heeded the district attorney 's call for assertive punishment of " crimes of violence " and convicted him . There were calls for Briggs to commute Goode 's capital sentence , but he refused , writing " A pardon here would tend toward the utter subversion of the law . " 
 Briggs <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'</mark></a>argument was used in the 1849 trial of Washington Goode , a black mariner accused of killing a rival for the affections of a lady . The case against Goode was essentially circumstantial , but the jury heeded the district attorney <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>call for assertive punishment of " crimes of violence " and convicted him . <a href='dey_it' title='3'><mark>There</mark></a> <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> calls for Briggs to commute Goode <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>capital sentence , but he refused , writing " A pardon here would tend toward the utter subversion of the law . " 
Briggs  argument was used in the 1849 trial of Washington Goode , a black mariner accused of killing a rival for the affections of a lady . da case against Goode was essentially circumstantial , but tdajury heeded thdaistrict attorney  call fa assertive punishment of " crimes of violence " and convicted em . It was calls for Briggs to commute Goode  capital sentence , but he refused , writing " A pardon here would tend toward the utter subversion of the law . "