If you don’t nullify bad law,
you send the escaped slave back
to the master.

I would think a mistrial before the jury votes would be mandatory.

True. Only because you have prejudged your vote. The duty of a jury is to hear all the evidence before forming any opinions.

But a REAL American will report for jury duty and do his duty. To make up some bullpoop story in an effort to not sit on a jury is so, well, typically Republican. Just ask if jury nullification is legal if you have more important things to do.

Lately, I’ve had doubts about the jury selection system. First, I haven’t voted in years, because I no longer believe the in the two party system. And it use to be that non-voters weren’t called for jury duty. But apparently, my state suffered from a too depleted pool because of this. So the law got changed to any licensed driver was eligible. In fact I was first called on, just weeks after renewing my license. But the thing is you don’t really get paid $15 a day for this. That’s not a legal wage. That just covers the expensive of travel, and perhaps a meal. So you’re basically working for the County for free. And you didn’t volunteer for this. So it’s not like you said it was OK not to be paid and to interrupt your real job at any time. Essentially you’ve been drafted for a few days, or longer. It’s the longer part, that always worries me. One never knows how long these cases could drag on. The McMartin preschool trial in California, ran for something like three years!! Check in out on Wikipedia. I wonder how many jurors they went thru in that time? Meanwhile, the lawyers and judges all get paid handsomely, regardless of the outcome. While the jurors get squat for having to listen to all their legal mumbo-jumbo, day after day. But I guess they can’t spare the tax money to actually pay anyone, who isn’t legally trained. And those all get excused from this duty. Along with most politicians, doctors, priests, military personnel, multi-millionaires, people over age 75, and/or blind, and/or deaf, and Quakers.

So, want to get off jury duty permanently? Become one of those, and you’re set for life. And if it’s such an honor and civic duty to be a juror. Why all the exceptions? I understand George Bush got out of it once, in 1996. He wasn’t president at that time.

Haven’t thought about it. I would think jury nullification is “legal” in every state because of the bar against double jeopardy. Still, it is not allowed and if a judge becomes aware “somehow” that a jury member/entire jury plans on “not following the law and the instructions as given by the judge” I would think a mistrial before the jury votes would be mandatory.

Pro’s and con’s. I actually think a bit more jury nullification than we currently have (near ZERO right?) would be worthwhile. We just need to stop well before anarchy.

I’ve never been called, let alone do my duty as a proud American. I would do it proudly too. The one question I would present to the prosecutor though would be “is jury nullification illegal in this State?”

I have always been asked if I can override that opinion and render an opinion based on the facts presented. I respond that part of the facts presented are necessarly the CREDIBILITY of the witnesses and that I could try but all too often might arrive at jury nullification.

I am always removed for cause but not cited for contempt.

Silly system.

I’ll never serve on a jury because my father was a cop, grandfather was a cop, godfather was a cop, uncle was a cop, aunt was a sheriff’s deputy…

Defense attorneys will strike you from the list in a heartbeat.