Late in the night of July 13, 2013 George Zimmerman was acquitted of
murder and manslaughter for shooting Trayvon Martin. (Details of the
case can be read here.)
The scary part is that one of the prosecutors, John Guy, in his
rebuttal to the defense's closing arguments asked the jurors to
disregard the lack of evidence and the lack of credibility of two key
witnesses to find Zimmerman guilty. Hear his words in the short clip here.
The law requires that the prosecution prove their case and by Guy's own admission they didn't. In so many words he called for the jurors to stand the concept of jury nullification on its head. Jury nullification is when a jury finds that a person broke the law but that justice requires a not guilty verdict. (Unfortunately, judges don't inform jurors that they can judge the law as well as the facts of a case in order to acquit.
The law requires that the prosecution prove their case and by Guy's own admission they didn't. In so many words he called for the jurors to stand the concept of jury nullification on its head. Jury nullification is when a jury finds that a person broke the law but that justice requires a not guilty verdict. (Unfortunately, judges don't inform jurors that they can judge the law as well as the facts of a case in order to acquit.
Visit the Fully Informed Jury Association
website for more information on this.) Guy asked the jury to disregard
the facts and the law and to convict a man whose guilt wasn't proved.
This is the most unnoticed aspect, and one of the scariest, of a trial
fraught with terrifying aspects. Kudos to the jury for not implementing
this kind of tyranny in the courtroom.
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