Keith and stuff
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After well over a decade of work, New Hampshire finally passed a fully informed jury reform bill.
Jump to the 2:00 mark in the video to see the report about the fully informed jury bill in New Hampshire.
[video=youtube;6qnc4y0w0Hw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qnc4y0w0Hw[/video]
Technically, according to the legal experts, New Hampshire law not only allows for jury nullification but it informs juries about their ability to exercise jury nullification. Judges in NH say something like, “If the prosecution has met its legal burden, the jury should find the defendant guilty” in NH courts. The word should does not mean must. If judges used the word must, they would be telling jurors that jury nullification is illegal. Since judges use the word should, they say that jury nullification is legal, possible and you may use it but you shouldn't use it.
Thanks to House Bill 146, the defense is now allowed, over a judge's objection, to inform a jury that a jury has a right to judge the application of the law in relationship to the facts in controversy. How will a defense attorney choose to make such a legal argument to a jury? Will judges try to restrict an attorney for making such an argument in non-legalese? We don't know the answers to these questions yet. While HB 146 may have gone rather than any similar law in any other state, it may not have gone far enough. Rest assured, the people of NH will be paying attention to future trials in NH and if we feel we need to push further legislation, we will.
HB 146 was championed in the NH House by the sponsor, Rep. Lars Christiansen, Rep. Dan Itse and the Speaker of the House. It was championed by Senators Jim Forsythe and Fenton Groen on the Senate Judiciary Committee and passed the Senate 14-9 over the wishes of Senate President Peter Bragdon. Governor John Lynch signed HB 146 into law last week.
This bill only became law because of the dedication of pro-liberty lawyers, Ron Paul supporters and free staters. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Coverage:
GraniteGrok http://granitegrok.com/blog/2012/06...-hampshire-is-now-a-fully-informed-jury-state
Cato Institute http://www.policemisconduct.net/jury-nullification-law-signed-new-hampshire-governor/
Free Keene TV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qnc4y0w0Hw
Jump to the 2:00 mark in the video to see the report about the fully informed jury bill in New Hampshire.
[video=youtube;6qnc4y0w0Hw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qnc4y0w0Hw[/video]
Technically, according to the legal experts, New Hampshire law not only allows for jury nullification but it informs juries about their ability to exercise jury nullification. Judges in NH say something like, “If the prosecution has met its legal burden, the jury should find the defendant guilty” in NH courts. The word should does not mean must. If judges used the word must, they would be telling jurors that jury nullification is illegal. Since judges use the word should, they say that jury nullification is legal, possible and you may use it but you shouldn't use it.
Thanks to House Bill 146, the defense is now allowed, over a judge's objection, to inform a jury that a jury has a right to judge the application of the law in relationship to the facts in controversy. How will a defense attorney choose to make such a legal argument to a jury? Will judges try to restrict an attorney for making such an argument in non-legalese? We don't know the answers to these questions yet. While HB 146 may have gone rather than any similar law in any other state, it may not have gone far enough. Rest assured, the people of NH will be paying attention to future trials in NH and if we feel we need to push further legislation, we will.
HB 146 was championed in the NH House by the sponsor, Rep. Lars Christiansen, Rep. Dan Itse and the Speaker of the House. It was championed by Senators Jim Forsythe and Fenton Groen on the Senate Judiciary Committee and passed the Senate 14-9 over the wishes of Senate President Peter Bragdon. Governor John Lynch signed HB 146 into law last week.
This bill only became law because of the dedication of pro-liberty lawyers, Ron Paul supporters and free staters. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Coverage:
GraniteGrok http://granitegrok.com/blog/2012/06...-hampshire-is-now-a-fully-informed-jury-state
Cato Institute http://www.policemisconduct.net/jury-nullification-law-signed-new-hampshire-governor/
Free Keene TV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qnc4y0w0Hw
