Jury nullification. Pass it on.
Jury nullification is so fucking important.
This is something that more people should be aware of, if only because (in many states, at least) defense attorneys are actually prohibited from mentioning it to jurors. The law allows a jury to return a “not guilty” verdict contrary to the facts of the case, but not for the defense to inform them of that power or to argue for its application in the current trial.
I didn’t know about this. Wow.
always reblog
This is SUPER IMPORTANT and also a good reason to show up for jury duty. You know all those laws you think are stupid? This is your chance to maybe do something about it.
I…. I thought this was common knowledge… signal boosting this because it obviously isn’t!
Did not know this
Jury nullification in the United States has its origins in colonial British America. Similar to British law, in the United States jury nullification occurs when a jury in a criminal case reaches a verdict contrary to the weight of evidence, sometimes because of a disagreement with the relevant law.
YALL REMEMBER THIS WHEN JURY SUMMONS START GOING OUT IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER FOR THE PEOPLE WHOVE BEEN ARRESTED PROTESTING IN MAY AND JUNE
I remember lots of media when I was younger where someone definitely broke a law but the jury decided to let them go. I bet a lot of you have seen that too. It is not a fiction trope. The jury has a say based on how they *feel* about the defendant’s unique situation.
