Jury Nullification is when you, as a jurist, understand that your duties to the accused under the 6th Amendment is to judge their actions as a layperson. In doing so, your constitutionally-imposed duties supersede the authority of legislated law. You aren’t just “allowed” to find the accused innocent of violating a law you deem to be unjust; you are constitutionally obligated to exercise your best judgment and acquit under those circumstances.
Your duty to judge the accused based solely on the law includes the constitution, and the constitution requires you to judge as a layperson, not an agent of the state. Where the state’s laws conflict with your own rationality, you are obligated to obey the constitution, not the state.
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Coming into focus? Motherfucker, everyone knew his motive the second we learned who got shot.
wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 5 months ago
This just in! We’re finally starting to understand why French revolutionaries started beheading nobles.