Jury nullification

Jury nullification is the process whereby a jury in a criminal case nullifies a law by acquitting a defendant regardless of the weight of evidence against him or her." Widely, it is any rendering of a verdict by a trial jury which acquits a criminal defendant despite that defendant's violation of the letter of the law-that is, of an official rule, and especially a legislative enactment. Jury nullification need not disagree with the instructions by the judge-which concerns what the law is-but it may rule contrary to an instruction that the jury is required to apply the "law" to the defendant in light of the establishment of certain facts. Strictly speaking, a jury verdict which rules contrary to the letter of the law pertains only to the particular case before it; however, if a pattern of identical verdicts develops in response to repeated attempts to prosecute a statutory offense, it can have the practical effect of invalidating statute. Jury nullification is thus a means for the public to express opposition to an unwanted legislative enactment.