Legal Definitions - fur manifestus

Definition: Fur manifestus (pronounced fuh-r man-uh-fes-tuhs) is a Latin term that means "manifest thief." In Roman law, it refers to a thief who is caught in the act of stealing.

A fur manifestus could be punished in two ways:

• If the theft occurred at night
• If the thief used a lethal weapon against the person who discovered the crime

In either of these cases, the thief could be put to death on the spot. Otherwise, the manifest thief was liable to pay the owner four times the value of the stolen property.

Example: If someone is caught stealing a car in broad daylight and does not use a weapon, they would not be considered a fur manifestus. However, if someone is caught breaking into a house at night and threatens the homeowner with a knife, they would be considered a fur manifestus and could be put to death.

This example illustrates how the circumstances of the theft determine whether or not someone is considered a fur manifestus and the severity of the punishment they could face.