. Once a person of interest was identified and the level of his involvement in heresy determined, how did the trial proceed? Ideally, as today, the judges hoped for an admission of guilt. Such admissions saved time, and the accused was usually given a lighter sentence. If the accused did not admit guilt, judges gained information from witnesses, spies planted in prisons, or tests. A typical test would be the offer to take an oath or to eat some meat, the acceptance of which might clear the accused.