Civil & Criminal Justice Class
Individual Work
“It is not only [the juror’s]
right, but his duty…to find the verdict according to his own best
understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the
direction of the court.” – John Adams, 1771
The final decision-making body in most
civil cases is the jury. Deliberation takes place in a private room and they
are allowed to consider the case until they reach a verdict. The jury members
are directed to apply the evidence presented by the plaintiff to the law to
determine if the burden has been met and the defendant must pay damages.
Sometimes a jury will reach a verdict contrary to the weight of evidence
because it rejects the law or how the law applies in the case. This can also
happen in a criminal case, where a guilty party is allowed to go free. In a
criminal case, the judge is not free to disregard the verdict unless the judge
finds jury corruption or misconduct. In a civil case, a judge has the power to
overturn the verdict, but is generally reluctant to do so.
Your assignment this week is to answer
the following questions:
Provide a definition of jury nullification and find one case involving
this issue.
Do you agree with this type of decision?
Why or why not?
Can you give examples to bolster your point of view?
This individual work should include the
following:
An in-depth submission free of spelling
and grammar errors.
An essay containing a minimum of one
page, typed and double-spaced.
You will be assessed on the rationale
you use in addressing the question/issue posted, and how well you justify your
argument regarding this issue.
Your response must be thought provoking,
have well developed ideas and/or opinions, and should reference any supporting
material from the text, lecture, or other sources you have used to complete the
assignment.
You may use your text or the Internet as
a reference, but remember to cite your sources.
