Example Of Jury Nullification

Jury Nullification To condemn a person for an act that he or she did that broke the law is hard to decide. The jury is there to assist so the decision of the case does not depend solely on the judge. A jury consists of usually twelve people. They are there to come up with a verdict based on the evidence presented to them at court. To be part of such an important body comes with responsibilities and rights. One in question, is the right to nullify a law. Jury nullification is when the jury knows that the person is guilty but rejects the evidence as well as refuses to apply the law because either the juror wants to send a message about a social issue that is larger than the case itself or because the results stated by the law is opposing to …show more content…
Therefore, causing disorder and chaos within the criminal justice system and allowing jurors to follow their own feelings. Another concern is that jury nullification will increase the number of hung juries. Also known as deadlock jury, a hung jury occurs when a jury cannot reach a verdict after an extended deliberation (Black’s Law Dictionary). As a result, the case is called in for a mistrial. The case may be later presented to a new jury or it can be decided to not pursue the case any further. Another issue is the jury being bias. A juror may just want to convict the defendant not guilty, simply because he has the power to do so. Even though there may be overwhelming evidence proving the defendant guilty for the crime committed. These may be sufficient reasons for individuals to disagree with jury nullification. In some instances, the court will refuse to instruct the jurors of their power to nullify; to let them know that they are the judges of the law and facts (72 A.L.R. 899). They will disregard this and have the jurors figure it out on their own. Despite the odds, jurors will have to make a decision that they believe is appropriate in respect to the