Happy Jury Rights Day! Celebrate by spreading the word about jury nullification.

[Lucille]

It's the only power We the People have left.

http://fija.org/

Happy Jury Rights Day! We are hearing great reports from Jury Rights Day events across the country, and we look forward to sharing those with you soon. In the meantime, we have a Jury Rights Day message from FIJA National in which we challenge you to create 3 new jurors this Jury Rights Day! We invite you to view it and share it with friends. One lucky commenter will also receive a John Adams mug- details of the giveaway are in the video.

"The jury has the Right to judge both the law and the facts."
--Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase

"It is not only his right, but his duty... to find the verdict according to his own best understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court."
--John Adams

Quotes on Jury Authority and Jury Nullification
http://fija.org/docs/BP_quotes_on_jury_authority_and_jury_nullification .pdf

 

[Keith and stuff]

+Rep

1 day a year is a start but I wish people would do this more often. Where I live, people hand out flyers to the potential jurors every time there is jury selection and people hold a Free Rich Paul/ Jury Rights sign wave in front of the local prison every Sunday afternoon.

 

[kahless]

I just got called for jury duty, so this thread and the links for research are perfect timing for me.

 

[dannno]

I just got called for jury duty, so this thread and the links for research are perfect timing for me.

Ya last time I went the judge said a bunch of bullshit about how the jurors have to follow the law. Next time I hear that crap from a judge I may get arrested for contempt of court for saying "I object your honor"

 

[Lucille]

I just got called for jury duty, so this thread and the links for research are perfect timing for me.

Congratulations!

I'm ashamed to say that I was not as prepared as I should have been, and did not take on the judge when he kicked me off during jury selection, and now a guy is sitting in prison for the rest of his life.

 

[dannno]

now a guy is sitting in prison for the rest of his life.

What did he do?

 

[Wolfgang Bohringer]

I was listening to Ron Paul being interviewed on the Scott Horton Show the other day and Scott asked him what he thought Private Manning's verdict and sentence should have been and Ron said something like he thought Manning should be released with time served. And I thought, "What? Why isn't Ron using the Manning case to promote jury/judge nullification?"

Phil Giraldi did the same thing as Ron when Scott interviewed Giraldi and asked him the same question.

The Manning case was a prime opportunity to explain that in a free republic, statutes are not blindly enforced and no statute can have the force of law unless the jurors (or judge in Manning's case) independently agree that the statute and its application in the case at hand do not violate the jurors' and judge's sense of justice and understanding of natural and constitutional law.

 

[kahless]

Ya last time I went the judge said a bunch of bullshit about how the jurors have to follow the law. Next time I hear that crap from a judge I may get arrested for contempt of court for saying "I object your honor"

You could also say nothing and then educate the jury.

The last time I went was over 10 years ago. It was the absolute worst possible time for the state to call me to duty for anything. It was just after my divorce so I was still pretty bent about various aspects of the federal, state and county laws and that particular court.

During selection I was asked my opinion about the case which I thought was a waste of my time and theirs. Some how the discussion ended up with me railing on the state, the court and one of the lawyers. They asked me to STOP and took me to a back room for more questioning where I railed some more. lol

They said I could leave which was a wise move on their part and good for me since I really could not afford to be there.

 

[kahless]

Congratulations!

I'm ashamed to say that I was not as prepared as I should have been, and did not take on the judge when he kicked me off during jury selection, and now a guy is sitting in prison for the rest of his life.

If I were independently wealthy or getting paid to be there then maybe I would be happy. If I do get on one I always thought I would vote my conscience regardless of the law. For me it was/is trying to figure out the legal aspects which this reference material should help.

What did he do, I am guessing a murder case?

 

[Lucille]

What did he do?

I tried to find the articles from the paper but I can't. It's been several years since the trial but I can remember most.

He had already served time for dealing drugs and, of course, lost his 2nd amendment right privilege. So he gets out, and is down in Tuscon or Phx (can't recall which) and he says his GF let him borrow her car, which has a gun in it. She calls the cops, telling them he stole her car and that there's a gun in the car. They locate him on I-17 north to Flagstaff, and pull him over. They start screaming at him and tell him to get the gun and get out of the car. He gets the gun, and starts getting out of the car, and they start shooting at him (25 rounds) because they say he had the gun in his hand and he started shooting first. He is hit 5 times (lousy shots!) and is taken to the hospital. They do not test his hand for gunpowder, and could not find any bullets that he allegedly shot. The cameras in all the cop cars were off.

Man, that courtroom was packed with LEOs. It was intimidating as hell. I feel terrible, and will always regret not being more prepared and getting kicked off that jury. I should have kept my mouth shut when the judge asked, "Does anyone have any objections to judging this case based on the law?" (He must have had some experience with nullification).

He had a public pretender.

 

[tod evans]

He had a public pretender.

I could quite easily get behind a role reversal that freed everybody currently incarcerated and imprisoned every member of the "Just-Us" department..

Society as a whole would undoubtedly be better off..