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Jury Nullification
Jury nullification, also known as jury equity or as a perverse verdict, is a decision by the jury in a trial, criminal trial resulting in a verdict of Acquittal, not guilty even though they think a defendant has broken the law. The jury's reasons may include the belief that the law itself is unjust, that the prosecutor has misapplied the law in the defendant's case, that the punishment for breaking the law is too harsh, or general frustrations with the criminal justice system. It has been commonly used to oppose what jurors perceive as Rule according to higher law, unjust laws, such as those that once penalized runaway slaves under the Fugitive slave laws in the United States, Fugitive Slave Act, prohibited alcohol during Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition, or criminalized Vietnam War draft, draft evasion during the Vietnam War. Some juries have also refused to convict due to their own prejudices in favor of the defendant. Such verdicts are possible because a jury has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trial Of The Seven Bishops
The Seven Bishops were members of the Church of England tried and acquitted for seditious libel in the Court of King's Bench (England), Court of Kings Bench in June 1688. The very unpopular prosecution of the bishops is viewed as a significant event contributing to the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and deposition of James II of England, James II. In November 1685, James II dismissed the Parliament of England for refusing to pass measures removing legal restrictions on Catholics and Protestant Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformists. In August 1686, the Parliament of Scotland suffered the same fate and neither body met again until 1689. James nevertheless imposed the measures in April 1687 though a royal Declaration of Indulgence (1687), Declaration of Indulgence which was widely opposed in both countries, including by Nonconformists who feared this would jeopardise their hopes of readmission to the Church of England. The Declaration was reissued in April 1688, and Jame ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
