General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: San Diego Mayor Urges Jury Nullification for MJ Dispensary Case [View all]RainDog
(28,784 posts)People are executed in this nation on flimsy evidence, as well.
Since jury nullification is used so rarely and is most often used in situations in which people object to the law itself as unjust, I'm not inclined to place too much fear in the idea that jury nullification exists.
Since the U.S. has draconian drug sentencing laws (three strikes, mandatory minimums, etc.) - the law itself is the problem and if jurors choose to refuse to uphold bad law, the onus is upon legislators to correct their errors.
When legislators are subject to the same level of distrust, I guess I could see this fear of juries as valid. But since the law in this nation is so corrupt as it exists (in the same way that slavery laws were unjust) I have no problem with any of the actual jury nullification cases I've read about.
We obviously have different views about deference to authority.
This is often the case when people have had experiences that would lead them to doubt the goodness of the laws of the land when they are applied in racist manners and have been for centuries. I've only had the experience of seeing such things, not personal experience, but that has been enough to dispel the notion that authority deserves respect simply because of its existence.