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Jury nullification refers to a rendering of a not guilty verdict by a trial jury, disagreeing with the instructions by the judge concerning what the law is, or whether such law is applicable to the case, taking into account all of the evidence presented. Although a jury's refusal relates only to the particular case before it, if a pattern of such verdicts develops, it can have the practical effect of disabling the enforcement of that position on what is the law or how it should be applied. Juries are reluctant to render a verdict contrary to law, but a conflict may emerge between what judges and the public from whom juries are drawn hold the law to be. A succession of such verdicts may signal an unwillingness by the public to accept the law given them and may render it a "dead-letter" or bring about its repeal. The jury system was established because it was felt that a panel of citizens, drawn at random from the community, and serving for too short a time to be corrupted, would be more likely to render a just verdict than officials who may be unduly influenced. Jury nullification is a reminder that the right to trial by one's peers affords the public an opportunity to take a dissenting view about the justness of a statute or official practices. Notwithstanding perceived righteous applications of jury nullification, it bears noting that this verdict anomaly can also occur simply as a device to absolve a defendant of culpability. Sympathy, bias or prejudice can influence some jurors to wholly disregard evidence and instruction in favor of a sort of "jury forgiveness."
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What law did Daniel Webster make?
Jury Nullification
How can a jury speak out against an unpopular law?
By acquitting a guilty defendant. This is known as "jury nullification."
What is it called when a jury is refusal on the part to render a verdict according to a law and fact regardless of the evidence presented?
Jury nullification
Why is jury nullification bad?
thats funny, noone has answer why people don't have a right to a trial of a jury of their peers. And those peers are empowered to decide.
How does jury nullification strenghtens American democracy?
Jury nullification gives the People direct control of the law by deliberately and knowingly rejecting evidence, not applying the law or rejecting the law because they believe the law is unjust and it doesn't equate with their sense of morality or fairness; it's a way for the jury to send a message about some larger social issue, or protest the result dictated by the law if it were applied.
How do you use the word nullification in a sentence?
The people demanded a bill that would put the nullification process of a previous bill into effect. I'm not sure that's grammatically correct; you may want to google a different sentence.
What qualities should a member of the jury possess?
A Juror should not be impressed by who has the best suit on or who is the best looking witness or attorney.A juror should remember that Judges are people and they can be bias and try to sway a juror to their way of thinking.A juror should read their states and the US Constitution before going to jury duty.BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL A JUROR SHOULD KNOWWHAT JURY NULLIFICATION IS!Jury Nullification allows a juror to decide to vote against conviction even if the person is guilty if :the law is unreasonable or unclear orthe potential punishment does not fit the crimeeven if the party is guilty.NOTE: By LAW the attorneys for either side and even the Judge are not allowed to advise a Jury or Juror that they have the this right of JUROR NULLIFICATION or the case results in a mistrial!
Did the doctrine of nullification state that individual states could not disregard federal laws such as federal tariff laws?
I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that the doctrine of nullification deals with the ability of a jury to nullify the point of law. In other words, just cause you are "technically" guilty of breaking the law, a jury may find that due to extenuating circumstances, it should find you not guilty because of the "spirit" of the law.
How did southerners view the idea of state rights and nullification?
north= nullification is good south= nullification is bad
What is the principle of jury nullification?
That the jury can judge the law as well as the man. In other words, if they believe the defendent is guilty of breaking the law, but they think the law is wrong, they can find him "not guilty" anyway. This was done in the days when it was a crime to harbor a runaway slave. Some poor Quaker would be on trial for hiding an African American, and the jury would know for a fact he was guilty. But they'd vote "not guilty" anyway.
What issue triggered the argument over nullification?
nullification crisis
What are the most obvious dangers of Jury Nullification?
It has in the past been used by all white juries to find "not guilty" a fellow white man who obviously did kill a black man. Conversely, some black juries have notoriously returned that favor. The dangers of Jury Nullification seem to be solely caused by non-integrated juries. The remedy then is to see to a balance, not to throw out a time tested principle of nullification that helped free those who freed slaves. (Remember, those were all white juries who found those who hid runaway slaves "not guilty", so not all whites or all blacks are bad. Best to keep that balance though, if demographically possible.)
