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The Velveteen Ocelot

(128,905 posts)

44. And this, folks, is what jury nullification looks like.

Mon Jul 15, 2013, 07:46 PM

Jul 2013

Yesterday there was a thread in which a number of posters lauded the concept of jury nullification, which is where jurors decide to ignore the law and/or the facts and/or the judge's instructions in order to reach a decision they think is fair. Some argued that nullification is a good thing because it mitigates the "tyranny" of the law and allows individual jurors - "the people" - to do what they think is right, a notion promoted with particular zeal by libertarians and 2nd Amendment enthusiasts.

Really?

Here you see it before your very eyes - I offer into evidence of the perils of jury nullification Exhibit A: This jury apparently disregarded a whole buttload of evidence as well as the judge's instructions to disregard certain testimony because they thought Zimmerman was a good guy and just wanted to acquit him.

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Juror Speaking Out on Anderson Cooper 360 [View all] erpowers Jul 2013 OP

Says Serino's testimony that he felt Z was being truthful had a BIG impact on her Duer 157099 Jul 2013 #1

Missed the beginning, but AC says the jury was split at first... Chiyo-chichi Jul 2013 #2

but all had weekend plans Horse with no Name Jul 2013 #7

Ugh. I didn't hear that part. Weekend plans? Chiyo-chichi Jul 2013 #9

I was being sarcastic Horse with no Name Jul 2013 #11

Yep, big jump from murder2 to not guilty. nt alsame Jul 2013 #28

Indeed. Chiyo-chichi Jul 2013 #36

really after 11 hours? dsc Jul 2013 #59

Yeah I have had an 11 hour meeting before Horse with no Name Jul 2013 #104

Hmmm..... wonder who or what caused them to change their minds? femmocrat Jul 2013 #12

I thought that would be a strong possibility also. dkf Jul 2013 #30

She said the way the jury instructions read they had to narrow it to the moments right before the Tx4obama Jul 2013 #58

admitting her COMPLETE IGNORANCE of the charges- yet she wants to write a book, UGH. bettyellen Jul 2013 #70

they wanted to go home TorchTheWitch Jul 2013 #119

She felt from the start of deliberations that he was not guilty. nt femmocrat Jul 2013 #34

Based on "heat of the moment" and "Stand Your Ground", he had a right to defend himself. femmocrat Jul 2013 #43

I thought that the defense didn't cite Stand Your Ground. yardwork Jul 2013 #79

The Judge did in her jury instructions... Spazito Jul 2013 #103

The judge told them to only disregard one part ceonupe Jul 2013 #3

And that is precisely the point AC asked her about Duer 157099 Jul 2013 #8

You can't unring a bell Lee-Lee Jul 2013 #14

It was the state choice to have ceonupe Jul 2013 #19

He won 3 people over. It just didn't stick when they studied the facts. dkf Jul 2013 #33

Not the "facts" per se. She just said that they reviewed the law. femmocrat Jul 2013 #50

But it wasn't...that point should have been driven home VanillaRhapsody Jul 2013 #54

she said they were completely CONFUSED by the manslaughter charge. they decided anyway- bettyellen Jul 2013 #69

Am I the only one that finds that jaw dropping? n/t BronxBoy Jul 2013 #77

I'm not surprised at all. To reach that verdict I knew that they had to be racist and stupid. yardwork Jul 2013 #81

no. i do too. DesertFlower Jul 2013 #82

I sort of halfway admonished a poster for calling the jury idiots yesterday... BronxBoy Jul 2013 #88

she called them (TM + Rachel) "those people". I want to hurl!!! BTW.... bettyellen Jul 2013 #89

Soundview Area n/t BronxBoy Jul 2013 #90

The 6 !!! I was between St Lawrence and Pkchester, LOL. bettyellen Jul 2013 #91

Ward Avenue..Then St. Lawrence... BronxBoy Jul 2013 #95

There used to be a theater on Ward Avenue in the 1950's- my Mom worked there. bettyellen Jul 2013 #101

Wonderful. What an absolute travesty. anneboleyn Jul 2013 #113

She is a stupid dumbass. Sheldon Cooper Jul 2013 #4

definitely BainsBane Jul 2013 #10

She believes everything Zimmy said through his lying teeth. femmocrat Jul 2013 #16

Trayvon is on the phone carrying skittles and iced tea Cali_Democrat Jul 2013 #25

I guess that makes sense noamnety Jul 2013 #102

"if they were instructed to ignore the part of the fight where zimmerman started the fight." IdaBriggs Jul 2013 #128

more details please Beaverhausen Jul 2013 #5

One of the Juror's is Speaking Out erpowers Jul 2013 #18

If it is Juror B37, she sure lost her utter contempt for the media in amazingly short order... Spazito Jul 2013 #47

Juror B37 erpowers Jul 2013 #93

I figured as much, seeing as she has a book she wants to sell... Spazito Jul 2013 #98

If it's B37, she also called Trayvon a "boy of color" and will be writing a book pokerfan Jul 2013 #94

Yep, all kinds of questions arise in my mind regarding this juror... Spazito Jul 2013 #100

She appears to be the first one willing to cash in on the experience pokerfan Jul 2013 #112

Having immediate access to "a high ranking producer at one of the morning shows" Spazito Jul 2013 #115

Said they all believed it was alsame Jul 2013 #6

That's the problem. BellaKos Jul 2013 #126

She just said she believes Zimmerman "has a good heart". Ugh. octoberlib Jul 2013 #13

This one bought the alsame Jul 2013 #17

She doesn't believe race played a role. Jury never discussed it, she said. femmocrat Jul 2013 #24

So it was okay, "self defense" to shoot him (sarcasm alert) anneboleyn Jul 2013 #42

Exactly. She believed it was self-defense and Zimmy feared for his life. femmocrat Jul 2013 #64

and the POS didn't even take the stand to say it himself. nt Lex Jul 2013 #72

the lawyers were on "the view" this morning. DesertFlower Jul 2013 #86

Fuck! ... TeeYiYi Jul 2013 #83

Yep, Zimmerman's “heart was in the right place” pokerfan Jul 2013 #118

Zimmerman juror on Anderson Cooper 360 is clearly a MORON etherealtruth Jul 2013 #15

Yep. Chiyo-chichi Jul 2013 #21

Jesus Christ, doesn't believe GZ racially alsame Jul 2013 #20

Wasn't the defense actually making the case that Zimmy racially profiled him? Cali_Democrat Jul 2013 #27

They didn't say 'racially profiled' but alsame Jul 2013 #73

They're not the same thing. Igel Jul 2013 #120

She did not use the term Hispanic azmom Jul 2013 #130

You're right. nt alsame Jul 2013 #131

Juror is even more repulusive than I feared, what a DUMB ASS HOLE!!! nt Raine Jul 2013 #22

when does she start on Fux & Friends olddots Jul 2013 #23

I had to turn it off, she's going on about what alsame Jul 2013 #26

Anyone listening to the 911 tape can see he was a cop wannabe who used rotten judgement. Sickening. RBInMaine Jul 2013 #40

She just said Zimmerman had a right to defend himself. Sickened. I'm turning it off too. nt octoberlib Jul 2013 #41

i missed the first few minutes but i have it on now. DesertFlower Jul 2013 #29

HOW IN THE FUCK does she know if he is a GOOD man or not? Very depressing mockery of the jury system anneboleyn Jul 2013 #38

i agree. she also said george had DesertFlower Jul 2013 #52

That's the problem with racism today laundry_queen Jul 2013 #65

i had an e-mail argument with a friend the other night. DesertFlower Jul 2013 #75

Depending on where she is from JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #105

i think you're right. DesertFlower Jul 2013 #110

Anderson never asked her that or any tough questions. skeewee08 Jul 2013 #71

yet she isn't so sure she wants him on HER neighborhood watch. good man- he didn;t need to call his bettyellen Jul 2013 #63

Because they weren't allowed to hear that he called 911 46 times to report a "suspicious black male" VanillaRhapsody Jul 2013 #60

Do juries decide by "which story I like better" logic? anneboleyn Jul 2013 #31

I must be watching a different juror than all of you. newcriminal Jul 2013 #32

The way that you are listening and learning instead of insulting our intelligence? notadmblnd Jul 2013 #39

I didn't say any of you were "morons" "stupid dumbass" "repulsive" newcriminal Jul 2013 #49

I didn't accuse you of calling us names. I said you were not listening and learning notadmblnd Jul 2013 #67

That is not going against jury instructions. newcriminal Jul 2013 #74

See? You wern't listening. I did not say she disregarded by believing he was innocent notadmblnd Jul 2013 #80

I don't play childish games on here. newcriminal Jul 2013 #96

They are two completely different statements. notadmblnd Jul 2013 #106

She's out of her fucking mind when she says race had nothing to do with the incident Blue_Tires Jul 2013 #124

M O N E Y! M O N E Y! M O N E Y! madashelltoo Jul 2013 #35

Is she the one that already has a book deal? notadmblnd Jul 2013 #37

She is B 37. Is she the same one? femmocrat Jul 2013 #45

Yes, she is notadmblnd Jul 2013 #48

I believe so cal04 Jul 2013 #46

she said her husband is an attorney and DesertFlower Jul 2013 #78

Her husband's an attorney? Wouldn't that normally keep her off a jury? yardwork Jul 2013 #85

No, why should it? newcriminal Jul 2013 #97

A lot of lawyers will get other lawyers and cops Just Saying Jul 2013 #108

it usually does, yes steve2470 Jul 2013 #117

it should TorchTheWitch Jul 2013 #122

I smell a rat. yardwork Jul 2013 #123

I said in another post that I really think she might have been TorchTheWitch Jul 2013 #125

And this, folks, is what jury nullification looks like. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #44

I've never heard a lead detective testify that he supported the defendent. Travis_0004 Jul 2013 #109

Because the Sanford PD had alsame Jul 2013 #111

In the interview she said: "... how THOSE people live ..." Tx4obama Jul 2013 #51

Wait, wuh? Cali_Democrat Jul 2013 #56

When Anderson Cooper asked her about... Tx4obama Jul 2013 #62

"those people" Cali_Democrat Jul 2013 #66

"those people" - it's "how they live" like going out at 7 PM. The NERVE!! What a horrible woman. bettyellen Jul 2013 #76

You know... TeeYiYi Jul 2013 #68

Oh cripes. Now she is crying. femmocrat Jul 2013 #53

Anderson asked her if she is scared now. femmocrat Jul 2013 #57

Now she is feeling sorry madaboutharry Jul 2013 #55

SYG? SYG?!??!?!? WTF- she was looking for reasons to let him off. bettyellen Jul 2013 #61

That's what a jury is supposed to do...hunt for reasonable doubt davidn3600 Jul 2013 #92

not when the judge tells them it;s not to be considered (Serino testimony) or not the defense bettyellen Jul 2013 #99

Why didn't she take her 15 minutes with Sean Hannity... SeaLyons Jul 2013 #84

CNN is paying better Redford Jul 2013 #116

CNN Not Paying erpowers Jul 2013 #129

Yay Florida Amaya Jul 2013 #87

Again, I will offer that the prosecutors failed miserably during voir dire (interviews) Vinnie From Indy Jul 2013 #107

Zimmerman had a right to defend himself????? brettdale Jul 2013 #114

Simplistic and gullible Awsi Dooger Jul 2013 #121

I have seen guys like Zimmy in my world and I think your scenario is exactly correct Vinnie From Indy Jul 2013 #127