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Jury Nullification

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In today’s legal system, a jury has the power to return a "not guilty" verdict even when the defendant is clearly guilty. In cases like this, the jury may decide that the law should not be applied in the particular case or that the law is unjust. Other times, it may be completely bias against the subjects in question. For example, during the Civil Rights era, an all-white jury may find another white man innocent, even if he clearly killed an African American. This power is called jury nullification and is not a justified response to any verdict. One of the main concerns of jury nullification is that it allows the people to take the law into their own hands. For example, one can imagine a wife being beaten and abused by her husband. He makes her life miserable and one day she snaps and is unable to take the pressure of his tyranny. After all the stress builds up, she ends up murdering him in his sleep. When standing trial the jury may feel sorry for the defendant. Though her actions may appear as self defense on the ability for her to live a happy life, she still had committed cold blood murder. She could have gone to the police about her husband. Some arguments of individuals in favor of jury nullification may be that it is a good thing because it empowers the jury to do what is right rather than just look at the facts of the case. As well as it gives the jury the opportunity to .. Although these are somewhat valid facts in favor of Jury nullification, it comes back to rule of law which is as follows: 1. Law must be applied equally- trans-personalized, non-arbitrary 2. No one is above the law. Impartial administration of law • Judges must not be swayed by politics (Judicial independence) 3. Laws are duly generated by constitutional authority- a body must have popular and legal legitimacy to enact laws. Court must apply these laws in practice. Following the rule of

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