{"petition":[{"petition_analysis_number":"11683918","petition_url":"https:\/\/dlas.uncg.edu\/petitions\/petition\/11683918","state":"Virginia","county":"Richmond","location_type":"City","file_day":5,"file_month":12,"file_year":1839,"filing_court":"Legislative","end_day":6,"end_month":12,"end_year":1839,"ending_court":"Legislative","result":"bill","enslaved_count":1,"fpoc_count":0,"total_people_count":1,"repository":"Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia","abstract":"Lillburn Pleasants represents that he was \"charged with felony ... & condemned to be hung\" in 1833.  He further states that said sentence was later \"reprived for transportation & sale.\"  Pleasants asserts that \"at the time of the trial ... he was about the age of twenty five years & bound to serve until he should arrive at the age of thirty\" and that said court \"tried, convicted & condemned him as a slave for life.\"  He also declares that he had \"no power or legal authority to engage the services of counsel to advise & defend him.\"  The petitioner \"cannot suppose that it is the purpose of the Commonwealth, to make him a slave for life.\"  He avows that \"he has committed no offence authorizing so harsh a punishment & there is no law that justifies its infliction.\"  Pleasants therefore prays \"of your Honorable body to grant him a pardon.\"","subjects":[{"subject":"Jails\/Workhouses"},{"subject":"Execution (enslaved)"},{"subject":"Trials (enslaved)"},{"subject":"Theft by enslaved"},{"subject":"Term slavery"}]}]}