A federal jury has acquitted Bobby Nunez, who was charged with stealing government property by towing an immigration agent’s vehicle during the arrest of a TikTok influencer in downtown L.A.

A federal jury has acquitted Bobby Nunez, who was charged with stealing government property by towing an immigration agent’s vehicle during the arrest of a TikTok influencer in downtown L.A.

  • Manjushri@piefed.socialEnglish
    54·
    2 days ago

    I wish I had enough money to start a nationwide all-media ad campaign explaining jury nullification and telling people that we are not powerless. Not saying that this is jury nullification. It seems the actions did not fit the crime he was accused of. But I think more people need to understand that they are not obligated to convict just because the judge tells them that they are. The whole point of having a trial by a jury of your peers is so that they can block enforcement of unjust laws.

    • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
      221·
      2 days ago

      One time when I was on a grand jury, I tried to convince the other jurors that we don’t have to send people to jail for marijuana. It’s stupid and unjust, and we can just say no. They don’t make you show your work. (Yes, on a grand jury the prosecutors can just try again, but it wastes their time.)

      Those half-awake bootlickers weren’t having it. “We have to do what they told us!” “What, are you a dealer?” “The law is the law. Call your rep is you want to change it.”

      Maybe an ad campaign would move the needle, but there are a lot of stupid, selfish, people out there ready to lick the boots.

      • Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        10·
        2 days ago

        “The law is the law. Call your rep is you want to change it.”

        Just say the law was applied to Jesus and look where that led to.

        If they’re the least bit reflective of their so-called “faith” then they might join you on this.

        • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
          9·
          2 days ago

          Maybe, but they might also say something like “Right. They followed the law and jesus was crucified, saving everyone.” There are probably religious arguments to make, but religion (at least christianity in the US) is often just emotional slop.

        • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world
          3·
          2 days ago

          It helps to find a counter-example that the other person will resonate with. And there are plenty to be found just a web search away. At the very least, it might get them to shut up.

      • Manjushri@piefed.socialEnglish
        5·
        2 days ago

        Maybe an ad campaign would move the needle, but there are a lot of stupid, selfish, people out there ready to lick the boots.

        True. But grand juries are different from criminal trials. Federal criminal convictions, as well as state criminal convictions since 2020, require that the jury verdict must be unanimous. That means one hold out can prevent a conviction for something like weed possession.

        State courts have required unanimous verdicts since 2020. Before that year, nearly all states followed the federal criminal trial procedure. Two states—Oregon and Louisiana—allowed non-unanimous jury verdicts. In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld these types of verdicts in Apodaca v. Oregon (406 U.S. 404) (1972).

        In 2020, the Court overturned Apodaca with Ramos v. Louisiana (140 U.S. 1390). The Court reasoned that a deeper historical examination of the criminal justice system revealed an intentional bias against some jurors. The non-unanimous verdict helped ensure guilty verdicts for African Americans by eliminating one or two African American “not-guilty” votes (Justice Kavanaugh concurrence at 1418).