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Jury Nullification Research Paper

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Jury Nullification Research Paper
Jury Nullification Paper
Following the American Psychological Association’s Guide
Kristina Wilson
University of Phoenix
CJA/ 344

The act of jury nullification occurs when a jury comes back with a verdict of not guilty despite the belief that the defendant is guilty of what he or she is charged with. This generally takes place when a jury finds a law is not morally right or that it does not associate with the defendant. “Jurors decide to disregard judicial instructions and arrive at their own resolution of all contested matters of law at trial” (Jenkins & Moore, 2004, p. 1).
Although a jury has the right to nullify, most judges do not notify juries of this right for fear of abuse of the system. The reason being, this …show more content…
While there are not many cases in which jury nullification exist are made public, it has been practiced with juries across the country, especially on non-violent drug offenses. “In New Hampshire, for example, a Rastafarian man named Doug Darrell, who had been growing marijuana in his backyard for purposes of personal consumption, was brought before a jury on felony drug charges. The evidence against Darrell was substantial; he had been clearly in violation of the law. Nonetheless, his jurors—who found themselves morally opposed to the sort of law that would send a peaceful man to prison—explicitly decided to nullify the case against him by finding him not guilty” (Bassil, 2012, para. …show more content…
(2012, October 9). Jury nullification in America. The Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2012/10/10/jury-nullification-america
Jenkins, M., & Moore, B. (2004). Just Deserts? University Students’ Inclination to nullify the Law: An Exploratory Study. Internet Journal of Criminology, 1-29. Retrieved from http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/Jenkins%20%20Moore%20-%20Just%20Deserts.pdf
Rottman, Ph.D., D. B., Hansen, R., Mott, Ph.D., N., & Grimes, L. (2003, March). Perceptions of the Courts in Your Community: The Influence of Experience, Race and Ethnicity. 1-10. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/201356.pdf
Schrantz, D. (2000). Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: A Manual for Practitioners and Policymakers. National Criminal Justice Reference Service,
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