• TJDetweiler@lemmy.ca
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    7 months ago

    You’re missing the point, especially if you think a fair and just system even exists within the US. If you want to take the stance that “murder is illegal”, sure, what he did was illegal. Jury nullification is a way we peons can still hold an iota of power. It’s spitting in the face of unjust systems.

    Let me ask you this. Would you prefer a situation in which Luigi was convicted for murder, sentenced to life in prison, and the system never changes? Or would you prefer a situation in which exceptions are given in exceptional circumstances in an attempt to change a fundamentally broken system?

    If your answer is the former, you might just want to apply at United and work your way up.

    • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
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      7 months ago

      I guess this is the core of the issue.

      I find it bizarre that anyone could honestly think that a broken system could be improved by allowing 12 random people to make exceptions in exceptional circumstances. Sorry but it’s difficult to say anything charitable about that opinion.

      Every case is exceptional, and we have a complex process for weighing the circumstances and determining the least-bad outcome.

      You can look at Luigi’s case and say “this victim deserved to die therefore Luigi should not be punished”, but what is the consequence of that? How many people will be murdered that don’t really deserve to die? How many murderers who deserve to be punished will not be?

      • TJDetweiler@lemmy.ca
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        7 months ago

        I can provide no further information that is going to help you see the point.

        God speed.

        • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
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          7 months ago

          You’re correct in that the jury prevents a corrupt government from convicting innocent people.

          That’s why a jury’s role is to return a verdict of guilty or not guilty. You will note there’s no third option for a jury to return a verdict of “guilty but exempt”.

          Do you really want a court system where 12 idiots decide whether the law should apply? That’s the antithesis of a fair and just legal system.

            • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
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              7 months ago

              Juries decide whether defendants are guilty of the charges against them. They do not decide whether the law ought to apply. If you don’t understand the difference then you’re right… I’m not going to be able to put an argument before you that you’ll be able to comprehend.

              It’s patently obvious to everyone that a fair and just system of laws needs to apply equally to everyone, even in cases where we dislike the victim.

                • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
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                  7 months ago

                  you ‘equally’ refuse to allow the punishment of defendant by returning a ‘not guilty’ verdict

                  That’s not what equally means. The same law needs to be applied to everyone. Making exceptions creates inequality.

                  Luigi was acting in self defense

                  If that is Luigi’s legal defense then the jury needs to weigh the evidence of that claim and if supported of course they would return a not-guilty verdict. That’s not jury nullification.

                  ‘not guilty’, regardless of the letter of the law.

                  This is, quite obviously, a corruption of the legal process. If jury nullification is an intended feature of the legal process then why aren’t jurors instructed to find the defendant guilty, not-guilty, or exempt? Why don’t defense attorneys tell jury’s that the application of the law in this case is unjust and therefore they should find the defendant not guilty?

                  Your fixation with DeSiGnInG RoBuSt sYsTeMs is absurd. It doesn’t support your position in any way. I could just as well say that you obviously don’t have a job that requires much thought or requires you to consider complex problems with unquantifiable ethical aspects.

                  You thinking about this for a long time also does not support your position in any way. People can believe in all sorts of nonsense their entire lives. The inflexibility and inability to support your position is a pretty good indicator that you haven’t really thought about this but merely like how the concept feels.