{"id":2849,"date":"2021-02-01T16:23:04","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T00:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crimeandconsequences.blog\/?p=2849"},"modified":"2021-02-03T09:02:39","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T17:02:39","slug":"jury-nullification-gets-nullified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crimeandconsequences.blog\/?p=2849","title":{"rendered":"Jury Nullification Gets Nullified"},"content":{"rendered":"

The highest court in Maryland, the state Court of Appeals, has outlawed jury nullification in the most forceful terms I can remember seeing.\u00a0 This is the right result.\u00a0 Jury nullification is simply inconsistent with any intelligible concept of law.\u00a0 One of the main functions we want law to do is to let citizens know what the rules are.\u00a0 If we are to have, on a completely ad hoc basis, different rules depending on which jury you happen to draw (i.e., crack is legal in one jury’s mind but still illegal in the mind of the jury across the hall, or the age of consent is 13 in one jury’s mind but 17 in the mind of the jury across the hall), then whatever you have, it’s not law.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Court of Appeals’ opinion is here<\/a>.\u00a0 Here’s the gist:<\/p>\n

\n

We hold that, despite the circumstance that jury nullification occurs, jury nullification is not authorized in Maryland and a jury does not have a right to engage in jury nullification. No case, statute, or rule in Maryland authorizes or gives juries the right to engage in jury nullification, i.e., there is no grant of authority permitting a jury to nullify. Rather, Maryland case law makes clear that it is improper for an attorney to argue jury nullification to a jury, and that jury instructions on the law are binding and trial courts must advise juries as much. On request, during voir dire, a trial court must ask whether any prospective jurors are unwilling or unable to comply with the jury instructions on certain fundamental principles. In addition, a verdict resulting from jury nullification is analogous to the return of legally inconsistent verdicts because in both instances a jury acts contrary to a trial court\u2019s instructions as to the proper application of the law and both occurrences are impermissible. Taken together, these principles lead us to conclude that jury nullification is not authorized in Maryland.<\/p>\n

Stated otherwise, although a jury may have the ability to nullify, and we recognize that jury nullification occurs, a jury does not have the right to engage in jury nullification. As such, for the reasons explained herein, we hold that, in this case, the circuit court did not abuse its discretion when, in response to the second and third jury notes about jury nullification, it instructed the jury, among other things, that: jury nullification is a juror\u2019s knowing and deliberate rejection of the evidence or refusal to apply the law; the jury could not engage in jury nullification; jury nullification is contrary to the law and engaging in it would violate the jury\u2019s oath; jury nullification would violate the court\u2019s order; and, in Maryland, the jury must apply the law as instructed by the court. The circuit court\u2019s instructions were neither legally incorrect nor prejudicial. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the Court of Special Appeals and remand the case to that Court for consideration of the remaining issues not addressed on appeal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The highest court in Maryland, the state Court of Appeals, has outlawed jury nullification in the most forceful terms I can remember seeing.\u00a0 This is the right result.\u00a0 Jury nullification is simply inconsistent with any intelligible concept of law.\u00a0 One of the main functions we want law to do is to let citizens know what the rules are.\u00a0 If we are to have, on a completely ad hoc basis, different rules depending on which jury you happen to draw (i.e., crack is legal in one jury’s mind but still illegal in the mind of the jury across the hall, or the age of consent is 13 in one jury’s mind but 17 in the mind of the jury across the hall), then whatever you have, it’s not law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jury-trials"],"yoast_head":"\nJury Nullification Gets Nullified - 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