Mann and his thought process as a judge triumph over that of Judge Gaston. Judge Ruffin believes that “dominance is essential” and holds to this principle in his rulings. He openly admits that his opinion is harsher than that of most judges, but says he is only crying "crocodile tears", which means he has superficial sympathy for the slaves he ruled against because he is seeking the greater good. great of his people and protecting them from attack. revolt. Judge Ruffin believes that it is necessary to keep the slaves in line to maintain the balance between master and slave, and for the time he ruled, this seems like the most logical thing to do, especially given the growing fear of rebellious slaves. This is also why State vs. Mann is the most significant case to come out of the courtroom in the South before the Civil War. State v. Mann correctly defined the relationship between Master and slave. It defined power and balance. It sets the tone for all Masters as to how they may govern what is rightfully their property. State v. Mann and Ruffin is the most compelling case to emerge from the courts before the Civil War