▁enjoyed ▁privileges ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁nobles ▁and ▁even ▁k ings ▁that ▁were ▁almost ▁equal ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁Christians . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁the ▁Crown ▁of ▁Arag on , ▁in ▁ 1 2 4 1 , ▁King ▁James ▁of ▁Arag on ▁issued ▁a ▁dec ree ▁that ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community ▁of ▁Barcelona ▁would ▁be ▁given ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁elect ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community ▁to ▁police ▁itself ▁and ▁investigate ▁Jewish ▁crim inals ▁and ▁cr imes ▁within ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community . ▁Once ▁the ▁elected ▁police ▁force ▁caught ▁a ▁criminal , ▁they ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁imp ose ▁fin es ▁( pa id ▁to ▁the ▁crown , ▁not ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community ), ▁ban ish ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁Jewish ▁quarter , ▁or ▁even ▁ban ish ▁them ▁entirely ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Barcelona . ▁ ▁Further , ▁these ▁elected ▁members ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁authority ▁to ▁judge ▁cases ▁between ▁Jews ▁in ▁a ▁court ▁of ▁law . ▁In ▁ 1 2 7 1 , ▁King ▁James ▁issued ▁a ▁similar ▁dec ree ▁with ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁increased ▁ur gency ▁which ▁suggests ▁that ▁things ▁had ▁become ▁vol atile ▁among ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community , ▁or ▁that ▁the ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community ▁was ▁over wh el ming ly ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁cha os . ▁This ▁second ▁dec ree ▁also ▁increased ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁the ▁council ▁to ▁whatever ▁pun ish ments ▁they ▁de em ▁to ▁be ▁" con ven ient ▁to ▁the ▁community ," ▁including ▁any ▁pun ish ments ▁that ▁they ▁de emed ▁fit . ▁ ▁Even ▁after ▁multiple