Force. In old English law. Force used by an accessary, to enable the principal to commit a crime, as by binding or holding a person while another killed him, or by aldlng or counseling in any way, or coinmandlng the act to be done. Bract fols. 138, 138b. According to Lord Coke, fortia was a word of art, and properly signified the furnishing of a weapon of force to do tbe fact, and by force whereof the fact was com-mitted, and he that furnished it was not pres-ent when the fact was done. 2 Inst. 182. —Fortia frisca. Fresh force, (q. c
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
