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How Do Jury Nullification Pros And Cons

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Defending the Rights of the US Citizens: The Advantages of Jury Nullification. By: Bradyn Fix Jury nullification has been a fundamental aspect of the United States court system since the 1800s, but how does it make a difference in today's justice system? The process of jury nullification occurs when a jury in a criminal case returns a not-guilty verdict even though they believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. This means that the jury knows the defendant has committed a crime but still chooses to let them go. Initially, this may seem irrational since the purpose of the jury is to convict criminals, however, there are many logical reasons for juries to nullify the law such as protecting defendants from unjust laws, ensuring fair punishments, and preventing laws from being misinterpreted and enforced in the wrong way. The image was taken from Megan Walkers “Jury Nullification” and demonstrates the main idea of jury nullification. Unjust Laws One of the most common …show more content…

While this idea may seem logical, some people still argue that the court system should be based on facts and not emotion. However, like stated before, a jury works best if it takes into consideration the actual human side of the case, just like how juries ruled against slave laws in the 1800s. Summary As the case defending jury nullification draws to an end, it is evident that this legal practice is truly benefiting the American court system: Not only does jury nullification prevent unjust laws being enforced, but it also provides more reasonable punishments to criminals and controls the corruption happening in the courtroom. With the obvious benefits that jury nullification can bring to the courtroom, it could be much easier to create a more effective and fair court system for our country's future, which is why this process is necessary to the growth and development of our society as a

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