The prosecution has also concerned itself with “lynch justice” [Lynchjustiz]. The defense will present documents proving that the judicial authorities criminally prosecuted, in spite of the violent opposition of the Gauleiter concerned, Germans who had mistreated or shot Allied fliers forced to abandon their planes, and that they protected Germans who treated such Allied fliers humanely. This positive attitude of the judicial offices will constitute an illustration of the relations of the powers [Machtverhaeltnisse] at that time. The Party and the police in their attitude were opposed to each other. The leader of the Party Chancellery had ordered all State and Party offices not to interfere with the execution of “lynch justice” on Allied fliers. The Minister of Justice could not ignore this order. He applied it in a manner that could be interpreted as quashing the proceedings. This weakening of an order instigated by the Party and the cases in practice mentioned show here, too, the basic tendency in the consideration of the actual relation of the powers. Arguments from the aspect of reprisal will also be made, which are supplementary to the question of “lynch justice.” The German Law of Pardons needs also to be presented and dealt with in detail, since it represents the basis, after all, for the proper evaluation of numerous documents presented by the prosecution, including the report lists of the Reich Ministry of Justice in matters of the death sentence. It has been fully codified, and we will refer to the numerous legal provisions. The entire system of pardon will justify the statement that it was most painstakingly built up with every safety measure and must withstand any criticism as a system. The law of pardon was incumbent upon the head of the State. Hitler transferred his executive power to Reich Minister Thierack, even for death sentences, whereas the latter’s predecessor in office, Reich Minister Guertner, and after his death, Under Secretary Schlegelberger, were restricted in the execution of the law of pardon in that they could recommend to Hitler to pardon a person sentenced to death, but they themselves could not pardon a person. What resulted is necessarily an orientation toward the utmost which could be obtained from Hitler. The manner they used and how the whole tendency on the part of the participating offices was to exhaust fully the possibilities for pardon which were offered will be shown in the evidence.