by Emma Gannone. The 10th Circuit upheld an injunction that lets protesters disseminate pamphlets about jury nullification outside a state courthouse in Colorado. Jury nullification describes the practice by which a jury acquits a defendant, despite evidence of his guilt, because the jury members believe the law at issue is immoral. Protests over ... MORE
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Protecting Consumers From Speech-Chilling Lawsuits
by Michael Beckerman. Summer is almost here, which means sun, fun, and summer vacations. It also means many of us are going to be spending time browsing online reviews to preview the good, the bad, and the ugly on travel locations. Imagine a world in which a hotel company could sue customers because they didn’t like their stay. What if ... MORE
Labels:
bullying,
consumer,
First Amendment,
free expression,
free speech,
justice,
lawsuit,
tactics
Juries Were Supposed To Be Able To Overturn Laws
by Clay Conrad. History is clear. The law is unclear on exactly what a
jury is. Juries can range from four to 12 members, depending on the
state and case. In two states, criminal juries need not reach unanimous judgments. In some states, jurors can question witnesses. There have even been arguments for so-called professional jurors. Some believe ... MORE
Ed Spillane: Many Judges Continue To Jail Defendants Without Money To Pay Fines. Here Are The Alternatives.
Why one judge refuses to send such folks to jail. Melissa J. showed up in my court last year with four kids in tow. Her children quietly watched from a nearby table while I spoke with her. The charges against her — driving with an invalid license, driving without insurance, not wearing a seat belt, failure to use a child safety seat properly ... MORE
Labels:
economics,
fees,
fines,
government,
incarceration,
judges,
justice,
law enforcement,
regulation
Juries Should Rein In Prosecutors With Too Much Power
by Glenn Harlan Reynolds, Washington Post. If there’s strong evidence that you’ve committed a crime, there’s still hope. Despite the evidence, those responsible for convicting you may choose to let you go, if they think that sending you to jail would result in an injustice. That can happen through what’s called “prosecutorial discretion,” where ... MORE
Labels:
control,
crime,
decisions,
government,
jury,
jury nullification,
justice,
politics,
power,
prosecute
Let's Hope For Jury Nullification: Prosecutor Wants Man To Serve 20 Years In Prison For Stealing $31 Worth Of Candy
by Josie Duffy. What if justice was a result and not just a process? Louisiana has the dubious honor of being the most incarceratory state in
the world's most incarceratory country. In New Orleans, Orleans Parish
District Attorney Leon Cannizaro has been hailed as a
reformer—organizations like Court Watch NOLA and others have publicly ... MORE
Jurors Need To Take The Law Into Their Own Hands
by Paul Butler, Washington Post. I learned about jury nullification while serving as a prosecutor in the District in the 1990s. As a rookie, I was warned that in nonviolent drug cases, it would be tough to get a conviction, no matter how strong my evidence was. The experienced prosecutors explained that the African American jurors “didn’t ... MORE
Labels:
crime,
government,
juror,
jury,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
politics,
punishment,
ruling
Robert Gebelhoff: How Powerful Should Our Juries Be?
Justice is a result, not just a process. In 1986, Leroy Reed faced criminal charges he didn’t understand. A mentally disabled ex-convict from Milwaukee, Reed was charged with illegally possessing a firearm after his parole office discovered that he had purchased a .22-caliber pistol to go with a mail-order private detective course. While it was obvious ... MORE
Labels:
citizens,
court,
incarceration,
jury,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
reason,
ruling,
sentencing
Mark Levin: The Three Top Federal Gov't Responsibilities
by Michael Morris. On his new television show Levin TV on Wednesday, nationally syndicated radio talk show host Mark Levin asked and answered a question similar to the one posed to Donald Trump at a recent CNN Town Hall: “Well, what then are the three top responsibilities, let’s say, of the federal government?” “Well, what then are the three top ... MORE
Labels:
Bill Of Rights,
Constitution,
defense,
individual liberty,
justice,
order,
responsibility,
security
The Clinton Investigation Enters A Dangerous Phase
by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano. The FBI investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's failure to protect state secrets contained in her emails has entered its penultimate phase, and it is a dangerous one for her and her aides. Federal law enforcement sources have let it be known that federal prosecutors and the FBI have ... MORE
Labels:
accountability,
corruption,
e-mail,
FBI,
Hillary Clinton,
investigation,
justice,
prosecute,
security
Ali Waked: Saudi Arabia Proposes Executions Of Gays
The birthplace of Islam. The Saudi judiciary has demanded stricter punishments, including death sentences, against homosexuals who display their sexuality in public and on social media, Okaz newspaper reported. According to the paper, over the last six months the Saudi judiciary reviewed 35 cases of homosexuality and what it calls sexual ... MORE
Labels:
authority,
executions,
gay rights,
individualism,
Islam,
justice,
Muslim,
penalties,
sex offenders
Bob Unruh: How Much Power Do Juries Really Have?
Answer: much more than they are told. A case against a Michigan man
for handing out informational leaflets on jury nullification in front
of a courthouse could impact what juries can do and how much control
judges and prosecutors have of their decision-making process. “Freedom of speech is not absolute,” argued Brian E. Theide, who is ... MORE
Labels:
court,
democracy,
guilt,
history,
juror,
jury nullification,
justice,
prosecute,
victimless crimes
Jury Nullification Gets Big Boost From Lawmakers
by Bob Unruh. Because justice is a result, not just a process. A New Hampshire bill would require state courts to inform juries that a defendant who has been shown to have committed a crime can be declared not guilty if a guilty verdict would “yield an unjust result,” a concept known as jury nullification. The plan, approved 184-145 by the state House ... MORE
Labels:
government,
individual liberty,
juror,
jury,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
trial,
victimless crimes
Woman Arrested For Protecting Dog From Cop Acquitted
by Jacob Sullum. Last week a West Virginia woman who stood between her dog and a state trooper intent on killing him was acquitted
of obstructing an officer by a jury in Wood County. It took jurors just
half an hour to acquit 23-year-old Tiffanie Hupp after they watched the
video of the incident that Hupp's husband, Ryan, shot with his cellphone. ... MORE
Labels:
abuse,
accountability,
arrest,
cameras,
deception,
dishonesty,
justice,
law enforcement,
police
New Hampshire Committee Approves Jury Nullification Bill
Because justice is a result, not just a process. A New Hampshire House committee has approved a bill that would make
jury nullification an official aspect of the state legal system. A coalition of nine representatives introduced House Bill 1270 (HB1270)
in January. The legislation would allow a defendant or defense attorney
to request that the court ... MORE
Labels:
freedom,
government,
individual liberty,
juror,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
morality,
process
Justice Sotomayor Supports Practice Of Jury Nullification
by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D. An article published by the Fully Informed Jury Association reports that on February 8, Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor (shown) told a group gathered at New York University that she disagreed with the Second Circuit Court’s holding in United States vs. Thomas. In that ruling, the court refused to recognize the ... MORE
Labels:
Founding Fathers,
history,
individual liberty,
juror,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
Supreme Court
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