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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Sergeant Schultz defense
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A quick definition of Sergeant Schultz defense:
The Sergeant Schultz defense is when someone accused of a crime says they didn't know anything about it. It's like when Sergeant Schultz from the TV show Hogan's Heroes would say "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I know nothing" to avoid getting in trouble. The defendant is basically saying they weren't involved in any wrongdoing and didn't have any knowledge of it.
A more thorough explanation:
The Sergeant Schultz defense is a term used in slang to describe a defense strategy used by a criminal or civil defendant. It involves the defendant claiming that they were not an active participant in an alleged scheme or conspiracy, and that they knew nothing, saw nothing, and heard nothing.
The defense is named after a character from the television series Hogan's Heroes. Sergeant Schultz was a German guard in charge of prisoners of war during World War II. He would avoid responsibility for the prisoners' schemes by proclaiming that he saw nothing and knew nothing.
During a trial for a bank robbery, one of the defendants claimed that he was only present at the scene of the crime but did not participate in the robbery. He used the Sergeant Schultz defense by stating that he knew nothing about the plan and did not see or hear anything that would implicate him in the crime.
Another example could be a defendant in a fraud case claiming that they were not aware of any illegal activity and did not participate in any scheme to defraud others.
These examples illustrate how the Sergeant Schultz defense is used by defendants to distance themselves from any criminal activity. They claim ignorance and lack of involvement in the alleged crime, similar to how Sergeant Schultz avoided responsibility for the prisoners' schemes in Hogan's Heroes.