Function of Juries &Jury Nullification FIJA | 20 Jan 2012
One may well ask: “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, [...]
Function of Juries &Jury Nullification FIJA | 21 Dec 2011
Professor of law and former federal prosecutor Paul Butler trusts jurors over power-grabbing prosecutors. Jurors Need to Know That They Can Say No How one feels about jury nullification ultimately depends on how much confidence one has in the jury system. Based on my experience, I trust jurors a lot. I first became interested in [...]
FIJA in the News &Function of Juries FIJA | 29 Nov 2011
Oral arguments are scheduled for next month in a malicious prosecution of an activist distributing juror outreach brochures in New York. In a brief filed with the court, the prosecution reveals its ignorance of the function of the jury. Prosecution Explains Jury Tampering Charge “His speech is not protected by the First Amendment,” prosecutors wrote. [...]
Function of Juries FIJA | 05 Nov 2011
Let a Thousand “Rogue” Grand Juries Bloom! Harris County’s 185th criminal court grand jury, which had been investigating problems with the BAT vans, called Culbertson to testify, along with former Harris County Prosecutor Brent Mayr. Lykos dispatched two members of her flying monkey corps – assistant DAs Carl Hobbs and Steve Morris – to “monitor” [...]
Function of Juries &Jury Nullification FIJA | 03 Aug 2011
An editorial on the recent sentencing in the Tim DeChristopher case and ways the system was manipulated to tilt the playing field in favor of the prosecution: The Sentence: A Take on the DeChristopher Case I’m not suggesting that Benson wears jackboots, but the treatment DeChristopher got wasn’t much better than what he’d have received [...]
Function of Juries FIJA | 27 Jul 2011
Is Grand Jury Tampering Rooted In Fed’s Psychological Disorders? Is the tampering of Nevada’s Federal Grand jury rooted in psychological disorders? That is a question being asked by Network CEO Phil Stimac after a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Jones that he and not the grand jury has the right to weigh and [...]
Function of Juries FIJA | 25 Jul 2011
“Not Guilty” Isn’t “Innocent” An indication of the sad state of journalism is how often when people show support for the Casey Anthony verdict they are labeled as Casey Anthony supporters. But they could very well be supporting just one thing. That would be to accept the “not guilty” verdict. It is, after all, the [...]
Function of Juries FIJA | 07 Jul 2011
In the wake of the Casey Anthony trial, we have gotten a number of calls regarding the case. While we do not have a comment on the details of this particular case, we remind everyone that guilt is determined by evidence and not the heinousness of the allegations against the defendant. The primary purpose of [...]
Function of Juries &Jury Nullification FIJA | 06 Jul 2011
The following letter to the editor, submitted by Thomas DeLaTorre of Pinckney, MT, was recently published in the Livingston Daily in Livingston, MT: Jury can send message on medical marijuana law Being on a jury can be one of the greatest experiences of citizenship. It is a duty that you should not take lightly or [...]
Function of Juries FIJA | 04 Jul 2011
Rose Lear brings us news of a pilot jury program in Michigan: Jurors discuss Springer trial, decision – Part of Michigan Pilot Jury Program The ability of jurors to question witnesses is part of a pilot program in Michigan that’s been under way since 2008. Under the experimental program, the 14-member Springer jury receives copies [...]
Freedom Friday &Function of Juries &Jurors Doing Justice &Lunch Break for Liberty FIJA | 20 May 2011
In this week’s Freedom Friday, Phil Mocek discusses his court victory in which a jury delivered a resounding No! to harassment of citizens by government agents enforcing their personal whims rather than the law. We posted about his case here. FIJA spoke with Mocek regarding his jury’s role in protecting him from government agents who [...]
Function of Juries FIJA | 30 Mar 2011
On this week’s edition of This American Life, host Ira Glass delves into the cases of three victims of Glynn County Georgia Superior Court Judge Amanda Williams’ drug court in Episode 430: Very Tough Love: This week: A drug court program that we believe is run differently from every other drug court in the country, [...]
FIJA Calendar &Function of Juries &Jury Nullification FIJA | 20 Mar 2011
Cannabis Resource Center, Monthly Lecture Series Topic: Jury Nullification Wednesday, 23 March 2011 at 7:00pm Cannabis Resource Center 1714 1st Avenue South Seattle, Washington 98134 Kirsten Tynan, of the Fully Informed Jury Association, discusses jury nullification, the power by which everyday Americans can end the war against cannabis.
Function of Juries FIJA | 18 Mar 2011
It has just been reported that a jury has convicted defendant Bernard von NotHaus on three charges related to counterfeiting with respect to his Liberty Dollar activities. It is worth noting that the jury in this case was reportedly misinformed repeatedly by the judge and prosecutor during the trial as to their authority and responsibility [...]
Function of Juries FIJA | 18 Mar 2011
U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts D.C. man gets 18 years for $600 drug deal More than three years ago, a federal jury acquitted Antwaun Ball on racketeering and conspiracy charges that he led a violent drug gang in the Congress Park neighborhood in Southeast Washington, convicting him solely of a $600, half-ounce drug deal. [...]