Roughly 90 tickets have been issued since March to volunteers with the loosely organized Food Not Bombs, which serves meals to people in need.

Too many of the potential jurors said that even if the defendant, Elisa Meadows, was guilty, they were unwilling to issue the $500 fine a city attorney was seeking, said Ren Rideauxx, Meadows’ attorney.

  • frezik@midwest.social
    96·
    10 months ago

    Uhh, no. That’s not how it works.:

    According to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sparf v. U.S., written by Justice Harlan, juries have no right to ignore the law when rendering the jury’s verdict. However, nullification still occurs in some instances because of the secrecy of jury deliberations. It is difficult to determine if a jury negates the law, especially in close cases.

    If it was up to judges, it would never be allowed, and cases would go to appeal or retrial if it happens. It only continues because jury deliberations are private. If judges found out, they would toss it.

    • stoly@lemmy.world
      121·
      10 months ago

      You’ve just proven that the SCOTUS decision is fully unenforceable, which means that jury nullification is the de facto law of the land.

      • frezik@midwest.social
        44·
        10 months ago

        It’s not. People blab about it a lot. Often right during jury selection, which makes it easy.

        • Zink
          3·
          10 months ago

          That makes it easy to prevent, I think, but not necessarily enforce/punish

        • stoly@lemmy.world
          2·
          10 months ago

          That’s the one time they will get you. The other is like in the Darryl Brooks trial where he tried to bring it up repeatedly and was shut down instantly by the judge.

          • frezik@midwest.social
            13·
            10 months ago

            People blab all the time when they think they’re on to something smart. It’s surprisingly reliable.

        • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
          1·
          10 months ago

          Very well. Please show the part of the federal criminal code that allows a juror to be prosecuted for thought crime. I will wait.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      81·
      10 months ago

      Yeah, is this the same SCOTUS that says women have to die if their pregnancy fucks up?

      We should probably stop letting judges make laws. They don’t run this place, we do.

      • frezik@midwest.social
        12·
        10 months ago

        It’s been precedent for a long time. Also, if you want to confront the legitimately of the court system altogether, then jury nullification is meaningless.