Stephen Miller has erupted at “blatant jury nullification” after a Los Angeles tow truck driver was acquitted of stealing an ICE vehicle in the latest embarrassment for Donald Trump’s Justice Department.
Bobby Nuñez, 33, was charged with theft of government property after towing away a locked ICE SUV—with its keys and firearm secured inside—during a chaotic immigration arrest in downtown Los Angeles on Aug. 15.
Video from the scene showed federal agents chasing the truck as it pulled away, before arresting Nuñez and leading him away in handcuffs.
Jury nullification is the real reasons juries exist. Pass all the corrupt laws and appoint all the corrupt justices you want. As long as we still have trial by jury we have a check on power from the citizens.
Juries exist to determine facts, and check the work of the prosecutor to make sure they proved the case to the standards required by law. They are an essential part of the legal process, and the possibility of nullification is an interesting byproduct.
This case was not nullification. He was charged with theft for towing a car, which is not theft anywhere, and is standard practice for tow truck operators. The vehicle was returned less than 20 minutes later.
Not guilty was a reasonable conclusion, not a case of a jury nullifying an otherwise solid case.
Cotizen juries absolutely exist for jury nullification. Otherwise it would be better to have professionals who are experts in the law making the rulings like judges do in most civil cases.
a judge can issue a judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV) if they determine that no reasonable jury could have reached the verdict based on the evidence.
So while it is rare the judge can still fuck everyone involved in the case no matter what the jury says.
freedom
In a criminal case, a judge can only overturn a guilty verdict.
This is why I hate people who say they hate being on a jury.
You have the most direct access to affect your society in a jury box than you do at the ballot box.
I live in Texas. Jurors are paid $20/day with no reimbursement for expenses, and employers aren’t required to pay employees on jury duty (though mine does).
So yeah - people hate it.
My state does it. My employer didn’t. And the courthouse was a long way away.
Also while I would like to be a jury it can be brutal. I had a friend that did grand jury once for 6 months. They were being constantly shown murder scene photos and other graphic imagery. I’d imagine that would bother some people
Except in most places you have to suffer financial hardship in order to exercise this ability