When jurors emerged from a trial openly
weeping because they felt compelled by the judge's instructions to convict
an 18 year old young man, something is wrong. He was convicted
of child molestation of his 16 year old, now pregnant, girl friend, even
though he wanted to marry her.
The problem is, if a law is not just,
prosecutors and judges have few alternatives, the prosecutor can refuse
to prosecute or the judge can refuse to hear the case. However, if
a case does go to trial, both must follow the law as written, regardless
of extenuating circumstances
The last protection standing between
the people and a tyrannical government is the jury system. According
to the Library of Congress, there are over 6,000,000 Federal laws and many
more state laws and local ordinances. Is there anyone who believes
that all of these laws are justified, that none are unreasonable, or, in
some cases, even ridiculous? Think not?
A Florida law states:" Having sexual relations with a porcupine
is illegal."
In WestVirginia: " Whistling under water is prohibited"
While in Massachussetts: "No gorilla is allowed in the back
seat of any car."
And in the city of Los Angeles: "It is a crime for
dogs to mate within 500 yards of a church."
But in Chicago: "It is illegal to give a dog whiskey."
And as a last example; in New Orleans: "You may not tie an
alligator to a fire hydrant."
These actual laws are from: www.dumblaws.com
THE JURY AND JUSTICE
Our second president, signer of the Declaration
of Independence, and a lawyer, said of the juror, " It is not only his
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, Yale Law Journal, 74 (1964): 173
It is obvious that our foundingfathers placed their
trust in the people to administer the laws justly.
Even today this precedence stands. " If the jury feels the law is
unjust, we recognize the undisputed power of the jury to acquit, even if
its verdict is contrary to the evidence... If the jury feels that the law
under which the defendant is accused is unjust, or that the exigent circumstances
justified the actions of the accused, or for any reason which appeals to
their logic or passion, the jury has the power to acquit, and the courts
must abide by that decision." -U.S. v Moylan, 4th U.S. Circuit
Court Of Appeals, 1969, 417 F 2d at 1006.A
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE JURY SYSTEM
The concept of common law and trial by jury originated
in England with the Anglo-Saxons. In 1215, with the signing of the
Magna Carta, nobles and freemen of England were accorded trial by a jury
of peers.
In 1670, the Church of England was the only legal
church in England, and William Penn was arrested for preaching a Quaker
sermon. At the conclusion of the trial, the jurors, led by Edward
Bushell, would not bring a guilty verdict even though instructed to do
so by the court. The jurors were confined for two days without food,
water, tobacco, or toilet facilities. The four most stubborn jurors were
placed in prison for nine weeks, until Bushell filed a writ of habeas corpus,
and the Court of Common Pleas ruled that jurors could no longer be punished
for their verdicts.
In colonial America a publisher, Peter Zengler,
was charged with printing articles critical of the Royal Governor of New
York. The prosecution stated that, even though the articles were
true, they were seditious, and truth had no bearing on the charge.
Zengler's attorney, Andrew Hamilton, argued that the grand jurors were
the judges. Zengler was acquitted within fifteen minutes.
COMMON LAW = COMMON SENSE
The U. S. system of laws was originally based
on common law, that if someone is charged with a crime then there must
be an injured party. However, present day criminal law consists mostly
of statute, or written law, passed by government legislatures or issued
by government agencies. In addition, court law procedures are frequently
based on case law..
Case law was introduced by a Harvard Dean
of the Law School, Christopher Langdell in 1869-70. Based on previous
court decisions, some excellent, many mediocre, and others not good at
all. But these cases may not consider differing circumstances.
Even the Supreme Court has reversed its own decisions, so how can cites
be reliable? Would any lawyer cite the O.J. Simpson trial as an example
of justice?
We are often told that ignorance of
the law is no excuse, yet when the prosecutor and judge read the
charges against the defendant they have to read the law from the charge
sheet even they can't remember it. Last, is the wording of laws.
For example, please interpret the following government regulation: Federal
Tax Code, Section 509 (a): "For purposes of paragraph (3),
an organization described in paragraph (2) shall be deemed to include an
organization described in section 501 (c) (4), (5), or (6) which would
be described in paragraph (2) if it were an organization described in section
501(c)(3)" Should a defendant understand this?
WHO'S TAMPERING WITH THE EVIDENCE?
The courts are justly
harsh on the crime of tampering with evidence, and yet judges are often
the main culprit of this crime. For example, when a judge will not
permit the defense to enter pertinent evidence in a trial.
A case in point? A
woman's boyfriend was breaking into her home to get at her. He was
armed with a chain and finally smashed the window and climbed in.
When the man attacked the girl's father with the chain, the father seized
his daughter's pistol and killed the attacker.
Because the defendant was
a previous felon and was not permitted to own a gun, the judge refused
to permit the defense attorney to enter a plea of self-defense. This
despite the fact that the gun wasn't his, and he was defending his life!
Isn't that tampering with evidence?
AND JURY TAMPERING?
Isn't it a form of jury
tampering when a judge demands an oath that jurors must decide the verdict
in accordance with his instructions? Or with his failure to inform jurors
that they may decide if the law is unjust or misapplied, or that the defendant
could have been justified in breaking the law.
Another form of jury tampering
is limiting the jury to six members. Of course it is easier to select
and control six jurors than twelve. But for the state to say that
this reduction is to save money is ridiculous, when the entire daily
cost of a twelve man jury probably does not exceed the hourly wage of the
judge!
JURY INTIMIDATION
A man's home was raided
by the IRS and his possessions were seized. In court he proved the
charges were in error. He then filed suit against the agents.
He was arrested again on eight counts of obstruction of justice.
When the jury could not reach a verdict, the judge ordered them to reconsider
and return with a verdict. The air-conditioning didn't work and the bathroom
facilities failed. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on five
of the charges. Jurors who reversed their vote convicted a man they
had believed to be innocent. It is obvious that the jurors were more
interested in comfort than justice. Certainly no Edward Bushell was
present on that jury.
Jurors must also be alert
for malicious practices by prosecutors. A lengthy charge sheet may
influence jurors to believe that anyone facing so many charges must be
guilty. However, when jurors find any of the charges dropped or to
be obviously in error, they should study all of the other charges very
carefully.
HOW JURORS SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED
" To reach a verdict which you believe is just, each
of you has the right to consider the motives of the defendant, and the
extent to which the defendant's action have actually caused harm or otherwise
violated your sense of right or wrong. If you believe justice requires
it, you may judge both the merits of the law under which he has been charged
and the wisdom of applying that law to the defendant.
Accordingly, for each charge against the defendant,
even if review of the evidence strictly in terms of the law would indicate
a guilty verdict, you have the right to find him not guilty. The
court cautions that with the exercise of this right comes full moral responsibility
for the verdict you bring in."
VOIR DIRE
If you are called for jury duty, you will be questioned by the lawyers
and perhaps by the judge to determine if you are suitable as a juror for
the case to be heard. This is known as voir dire (to speak the truth)..
Under no circumstances deny you are an informed juror if questioned by
the judge or the lawyers, that would be perjury and is a felony!
However, you will be excused from jury duty when you refuse to agree to
the oath requiring you to follow the judges instructions.
THE GRAND JURY
Most citizens do not
realize that the grand jury is the most powerful entity in the United States.
No one is above the investigative powers of this judicial body.
"...it is the duty of a grand jury to guard the rights and liberties of
the people; it has supervision of the enforcement of law and order, the
preservation and protection of morals and social order and the care of
bringing to light for examination, trial, and punishment all violence,
outrages, and indecencies. The most valuable function of the grand
jury is... to stand between the prosecutor and the accused..."
(emphasis added) - 38 Am Jur 2d Sec 26
Prosecutors direct but do not control a grand jury. Those chosen
for grand jury duty should study the rights and duties of the grand jury.
POINTS TO PONDER
The Florida State Bar is private,
it is not a state agency. Lawyers not only establish the attorney
requirements, they judge the actions of other lawyers, so very few lawyers
are punished for malpractice.
The judge's pension fund receives
twenty-percent of all fines collected. Isn't that a conflict
of interest?
And, because judges are appointed
rather than elected, they do not have to worry about whether people consider
their courts to be dispensing justice or not.
With Congress passing unconstitutional
laws under the guise of protecting us from terrorists, jurors must be extremely
careful that defendants are given a fair trial.
And lastly:
If a jury must follow the instructions of the judge, then of what use is
the jury?
Internet: www.fija.org or call: 1-800-TEL-JURY