Accused witch exonerated, 300 years later

Virginia's governor Timothy Kaine recently exonerated Grace Sherwood, a woman who was tried by water and accused of using her witching powers to cause a woman to miscarry. "I am pleased to officially restore the good name of Grace Sherwood," Kaine wrote in a letter that was read aloud by Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf before a local re-enactment of the ducking. "With 300 years of hindsight, we all certainly can agree that trial by water is an injustice." Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this story is that the legal system sometimes really does move slowly. Three hundred years? Incredible. (Read the full article)