Cesare Beccaria (jan 1, 1738 – jan 1, 1794)

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Cesare Beccaria was from a very rich, noble family and after getting an education, he went on to study law and the rights of the accused. He believed people were innocent until proven guilty and should not be tortured until they confess. He also noticed corruption in the court system such as bribery and secret trials. In addition, he thought the punishment should fit the crime and wanted to eliminate the death penalty. In 1764, he wrote a book called On Crimes and Punishments which had all of his ideas. Voltaire translated the book and added his comments but Beccaria and Voltaire never actually met.

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