Summary: <br> In this episode of Necessary Blackness Podcast, Rahiem Shabazz explains why jury nullification is necessary to level the playing field in the criminal justice system for Black America.<br> Jury nullification generally occurs when members of a <a title="Trial" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial">criminal trial</a> <a title="Jury" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury">jury</a> believe that a <a title="Defendant" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defendant">defendant</a> is guilty, but choose to <a title="Acquittal" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquittal">acquit</a> them anyway because the jurors also believe that the law itself is unjust,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification#cite_note-PennsTrial1-1">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification#cite_note-PennsTrial2-2">[2]</a> that the <a title="Prosecutor" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecutor">prosecutor</a> has misapplied the law in the defendant’s case,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification#cite_note-Ponting1985-3">[3]</a> or that the potential punishment for breaking the law is too harsh. Some juries have also refused to convict due to their own <a title="Prejudice" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice">prejudices</a> in favour of the defendant.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification#cite_note-Kennedy1997-4">[4]</a><br> Nullification is not an official part of <a title="Criminal procedure" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_procedure">criminal procedure</a>, but is the logical consequence of two rules governing the systems in which it exists:<br> <br> * <br> Jurors cannot be punished for reaching a “wrong” decision (such as acquitting a defendant despite their guilt being proven <a class="mw-redirect" title="Beyond a reasonable doubt" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_a_reasonable_doubt">beyond a reasonable doubt</a>).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification#cite_note-5">[5]</a><br> <br> * <br> A defendant who is acquitted <a title="Double jeopardy" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_jeopardy">cannot be tried again</a> for the same alleged crime in front of another jury.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification#cite_note-6">[6]</a><br> <br> <br> A jury verdict that is contrary to the <a title="Letter and spirit of the law" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_and_spirit_of_the_law">letter of the law</a> pertains only to the particular case before it. However, if a pattern of acquittals develops in response to repeated attempts to prosecute a particular offence, this can have the <a title="De facto" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_facto">de facto</a> effect of invalidating the law. Such a pattern may indicate public opposition to an unwanted legislative enactment. Likewise, a jury can convict a defendant even if no law was actually broken, although such a conviction may be overturned on <a title="Appeal" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal">appeal</a>. Nullification can also occur in <a class="mw-redirect" title="Civil trial" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_trial">civil trials</a>.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br>
