If the Law Is Bullshit, You Must Acquit

[unhappycamper]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/thom-hartmann/56128/if-the-law-is-bullshit-you-must-acquit

If the Law Is Bullshit, You Must Acquit
by Thom Hartmann | May 28, 2014 - 9:28am

You and I have the power to end Nixon's failed War on Drugs once-and-for-all. In fact, it's our constitutional right to do so.

Imagine for a second that you've been selected as a juror for the trial of someone like Jacob Lavoro, the 19-year-old Austin, Texas man currently facing anywhere from five years to life in prison for making a pound-and-a-half of pot brownies.

You know that based on the all evidence presented by the prosecution that the defendant is probably guilty, but you and other jurors on the case have serious doubts about convicting him because you know that doing so will ruin the defendant's life.

~snip~

Easy - you use your power of jury nullification. You declare the defendant "not guilty" regardless of the evidence and let him walk free, "nullifying" the unjust or unfair law.

--

Read all about jury nullification: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

[Evergreen Emerald]

1. Jurors take an oath to follow the law,,,

Even if they disagree with the law they are a obligated to follow it . It is illegal to lie as a juror .

[JoeyT]

2. They're not lying,

they're finding the defendant not guilty. Juries can find a defendant not guilty by reason of it's a nice day and they don't feel like being there. They're not required to explain why they found someone not guilty any more than they're required to explain why they found someone guilty.

[Evergreen Emerald]

6. They raise their hands and swear to follow the law

that is lying

[yodermon]

3. has a juror ever been prosecuted for engaging in nullification?

honest question, not fishing

[RainDog]

5. No. Different juries in states have done this

And they cannot be prosecuted for following the law - which has a provision to say... we choose not to enforce this law by nullification.

[Evergreen Emerald]

7. In WA

it is illegal.

[RainDog]

8. do you have a link for this info?

I'm not asking because I doubt you - I'm asking because I looked and couldn't find any information about any specific states that did not allow jury nullification.

[RainDog]

4. Yes n/t