Jury Nullification

Jury Nullification Paper

La Kiesha Davis, Lisa Herd, TaraLyn Thoreson, Tiffany Voyles & Ronn Yates

CJA/344

January 26th, 2015

Instructor Brodsky

Abstract

Jury Nullification is a process used by the American court system to acquit offenders who have been accused of committing a criminal act in spite of the rendered evidence suggesting the guilt of the offender (Jonakait, 2003). Jury nullification can occur as a result of sympathy, corruption, ingrained justice, and deep-seated prejudice. To better understand this portion of a trial proceeding, research must continually be conducted to determine whether racial, or ethnic disparity exist in the modern justice system, allowing for the unequal distribution of justice to occur. This composition will examine whether race determines the outcome of a jury decision, while providing some example which supports the findings. Finally, this paper will conclude examining the current requirements for ethnicity based jury nullification, while underpinning a personal stance on whether modern established laws protect the rights of all ethical groups in the criminal justice process, as suggest by the United States Constitution.

Jury Nullification

In the American court system, there is a process known as jury nullification, which empowers members of a jury to acquit a defendant, even if the evidence may suggest the offender’s guilt (Jonakait, 2003). Each level of court has its’ own jury system, whose primary responsibility is be impartial as they listen to the evidence presented, and then render a verdict based off of that evidence. Jury nullification has been in the American courts since the early 17th century as a tool for jurors to ignore common laws, and base their verdicts off of personal values, and preconceived prejudices, in the attempt to protect citizens who may have been accused of violating early English laws. The jury nullification process is often viewed with ire from lawyers and judges who see...