# FIJA - Your Rights & Responsibilities as a Juror . . . .



## Kevin (Dec 16, 2015)

In the joke thread a member posted this billboard as a joke against the left, and while I see where the joke is, it is also a dangerous concept that has been destroying our legal system and filling the jails with "criminals" for doing things that hurt absolutley no one . . . victim-less crimes. Failure to fill out paperwork! Catching your own rainwater! Growing a garden without getting a permit! Builing a storage shed without getting a permit!!! Juries have become automatons of the judge, believing what he tells them is the Gospel and that they cannot waiver from his almighty instructions. Hogwash!!!

There's an important truth in the billboard though. It's called jury nullification and today's judges and attorneys and "lawmakers" e.g. the various legislatures don't want fully informed juries. If you watch an old movie you'll often hear the juries getting their instructions from judge, and from say up to the 50s or so part of the instructions contained the all-important phrase _"... remember ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you are to try not only the facts of this case, but the law itself ..."_ which meant that even if the facts showed that the accused was carrying a 6" hunting knife on the street when the law only allowed for a 5" knife, then the JURY was to decide whether they liked that law or not, and if they didn't they would come back with a not guilty verdict and reject the law. This is called jury nullification and we still have the right, the responsibility as jurors to use it.

Judges now tell juries something like _"The law states that only a 5" long blade is allowed to be carried. If the facts show that Tony was carrying a 6" knife then you must find him guilty"_. Well, if that's true, what do we need juries for? It is OUR right to have final say about the laws we allow to give order to our society. We have not only the right but the RESPONSIBILITY to nullify laws that the legislature passes if we decide they suck. WE STILL HAVE THIS POWER. USE IT!

Some people may call you a nut job for even repeating these facts, but it is one of the most unique things in American Jurisprudence and sets us apart from any other form of self government. The problem with it is we do not use it nearly enough because it is so hard to get jurors educated about the power they wield. Any time you sit on a jury, inform the jury of their responsibility, at the appropriate time. At the beginning of final deliberation is usually the best time. The judge is not god and he does not have the final word on how you conduct yourself in the jury roo - if he did, he would sit in the room and tell you what you can and you can't do. But our legal system does not allow jury tampering, even by the judge!

Off my soapbox.


FIJA

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## Tclem (Dec 16, 2015)

This may also have to do with loopholes.
I was in court one day and a guy was found not guilty of trespassing at an apartment complex. The manager couldn't prove he told the guy not to come on the property after multiple fights. No proof said the judge.
He did it but wasn't guilty


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## Kevin (Dec 16, 2015)

There's no perfect system that's for sure. The jury that found OJ Simpson not guilty, knew he was guilty but they were making a statement about how the evidence was handled and aboit what they considered was a withhunt by a racist cop. 

It was a travesty of justice but like I said there's no lerfect system. Dollars to donuts there are more innocent people in jail than criminals that get off wrongfully. Especially if you count all the BS victimless crime offenders.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mike Mills (Dec 17, 2015)

My posting is/was not really a joke, more "The Height Of The Ridiculous".

I do agree with your analysis on the legal system but took different train of thought when I saw it.
What I thought of is that everything is always due to someone else or circumstances. It may be religion, race, sex, economic .... anything for the person to not take responsibility. Hire me and I will come up with some BS to get you off. 

When I turned on the news this morning I caught the end of a segment where a teen was DUI and killed four people. The defense, *affluenza*, the kid was so rich and pampered all his life that he had no concept of right and wrong.

Or John Kerry saying at the US embassy after the last Paris attacks .... “There’s something different about what happened from _Charlie Hebdo_, and I think everybody would feel that,” Kerry said. “There was a sort of particularized focus and perhaps even a legitimacy in terms of – not a legitimacy, but a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, okay, they’re really angry because of this and that.”
Hello ... the killing the cartoonist folks is legitimate and an acceptable rational for a sick jihadist terrorist? So says our Secretary of State.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Dec 17, 2015)

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2...s-charges-against-jury-nullifcation-activists



At the very bottom of the article....
_*"Jury nullification is based on an obscure legal act from the 1600s that allows jurors to acquit defendants because they believe a law is immoral or unjust. "*_


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## ripjack13 (Dec 17, 2015)

Ha...I love it....good article.


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## ripjack13 (Dec 17, 2015)

Of course the article would have to end with a lie and pro establishment lie at that. Jury Nullification is not an "obscure" 16th century theory. It was standard Jury instruction up until the early 20th century. After all imagine the peril if the People discovered the power they truly had against out of control government.....

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Dec 17, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2...s-charges-against-jury-nullifcation-activists
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The article is written by a liberal asshat that believes government is god. Jury nullification is not an obscure legal act it is as entrenched in our jurisprudence as a Miranda warning and even much more so as it is much older - the only difference is everyone understand what a Miranda warning is because it doesn't take any time or effort to understand.

The only reason jury nullification is "obscure" to the masses is because those who do not like it - DA's and judges and liberal Trotskyites et. al. want it to be obscure because it places the power right back into the hands where it belongs ... the people.

Be careful reading opinion articles in liberal newspapers they will lead you wrong.

Reactions: Like 2


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## HomeBody (Dec 18, 2015)

I know one thing. If you are being interviewed for a jury and ask the judge or lawyers about jury nullification you will be sent packing so fast your head will spin. I've read that in Washington D.C. it is not possible to get a drug conviction. The mostly black population of D.C. know full well about jury nullification and use it. With a jury pool like that, prosecutors won't even bother. Gary

Reactions: Agree 1


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## frankp (Jan 4, 2016)

The thing about drug convictions in DC is hogwash. It happens every day and the "mostly black population of D.C." don't know any more about nullification than any other random segment of the US population. Whoever told you that is pushing their own agenda.


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