Just say NO! Jurors have the power of jury nullification but the court and attorneys will never tell them this fact. If a juror feels, for example that marijuana should be legal, then the state has no power to take any action against them if they refuse to vote for a guilty verdict in a marijuana possession case. I believe jurors should use their power more often against unjust laws and wrongful prosecutions.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/06/jury-nullification
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3817372/Jurors-Handbook
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I am not going to argue if jurors have the “right” to nullify a law, but I do believe they have a moral obligation to judge the law and the circumstances surrounding the charges brought against the accused. Nothing is really black and white. If a juror makes a judgment based on the law as written, what is the point of having a jury? A computer might as well make the judgment, since it is void of conscience, compassion and the ability to question authority. It’s what separates us from plants and animals.
Comment by Mark Harnetiaux — December 10, 2013 @ 12:50 pm