In the song “The Ten Duel Commandments” in the musical Hamilton, one of the lines is “you have him (the doctor) turn around so he can have deniability.” How did that argument hold up in a court of law?

by ktelric

From what I understand duels were illegal during the Revolutionary Period so the participants took great lengths at protecting witnesses from any potential legal action. But how does turning your back on the duel make you any less innocent of not being a witness? Since a doctor was paid for in advance, couldn’t the prosecution argue that they took some part in the duel?

Astronoid

Not to discourage further answers but /u/Georgy_K_Zhukov, resident duelling expert, addressed this exact question here, and if they're around I'm sure they could answer followups.