Your Honor, I am here today in defense of young Huckleberry Finn, who is innocent of charges of breaking the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 states it illegal to help a slave escape. Huckleberry did not help Jim escape slavery, he coincidentally found Jim on Jackson's Island after escaping the threatening and abusive treatment from his father, Pap. Now if Huck would have turned Jim in, he would have to turn himself in, and in his case go back to the miserable, even dangerous life of living with Pap. After being turned in, Jim found out he had been freed, which would no longer make him a slave, and make it him possible for him to escape, or Huck to help him do so.
First of all, when pap came into town and took legal possession of Huck, Huck was put into a dangerous situation. Pap took Huck away from his civilized and peaceful life with Widow Douglas and locked him up in a shakily cabin in the dead of woods. Pap abuses Huck, and once was so drunk that he tried to kill Huck. Naturally, anyone would get away from this situation, and never go back. Huck then escaped, and made his way to Jackson's Island, where to his amazement found Jim " it was Miss Watson's Jim! I bet I was glad to see him" (Twain, 49). Huck knew that someone else was on the island, but coincidentally turned out to be Jim. Since Jim was already at the island, he had to have escaped himself, with no help from Huck, and gotten away from his owner, Miss Watson.
Another piece of evidence that I would like to present if is sweet Huckleberry Finn had turned Jim in, he would be risking his own life as well. Whenever Huck is around Pap, Pap would abuse Huck, and once was so drunk even tried to kill Huck "By and by he rolled out and jumped up to his feet looking wild, and he see me and went for me. He chased me round and round the place with a clasp knife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn't come for him no more" (Twain, 37).