Jury Rights Day September 5

[feralfae]

Jury Rights Day ~ September 5
On September 5 of this year, FIJA activists across the nation will once
again celebrate the juror's right to render a verdict based on conscience by
handing out literature, writing letters to the editor, appearing on
interviews, and speaking to groups. For more information, go to
www.fija.org.

September 5th marks the 338th anniversary of the trial of William Penn – a
trial that laid the foundation of our First Amendment Constitutional Rights
of Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Peaceable Public
Assembly.  Many Governors have signed Proclamations in recognition of Jury
Rights Day.

In 1670, Quaker William Penn of London was arrested and pled guilty of
violating England's Conventicle Acts, which forbade the practice of
religions other than the Church of England.  The Judge instructed the Jurors
to find Penn guilty.  The Jurors' refusal to enforce a bad law led to the
Court jailing and withholding food and water from the Jurors.

On appeal, the right of Jurors to base their verdict on their best judgment
and conscience, despite existing law and court instruction, was affirmed,
and cemented the seldom-used but important right of "Jury Nullification of
Bad Law" in all our legal systems—the ultimate right of the people to
control their government.

These underlying common law concepts firmly establish the fact that Jurors
cannot be punished for their verdict.  As well, jurors are not required to
give a reason for the verdict they render.  The fundamental right of Jurors
to render their verdict based on conscience is basic to the preservation of
Justice, and to our Lawful Society.

·         Jurors cannot be punished for their verdict.

·         Jurors cannot be required to give a reason for their verdict.

·         Jurors have both the authority and the human duty to render a
verdict based on their individual sense of justice and their conscience.

Receive a free information packet by calling 1-800-TEL-JURY. Visit
www.fija.org.

For Immediate release
21 August, 2008
322 words
Contact:
FIJA
1-406-442-7800
Iloilo Marguerite Jones, Executive Director

[doobie]

How does jury selection in NH work?  Is it just random?  I lived in MA 8 years and never was called.  A friend in the same town was called 3 times in a 6 year period.

[PattyLee loves dogs]

September 5th marks the 338th anniversary of the trial of William Penn – a
trial that laid the foundation of our First Amendment Constitutional Rights
of Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Peaceable Public
Assembly.  Many Governors have signed Proclamations in recognition of Jury
Rights Day.

Support for FIJA would be an excellent question for a candidate survey.

[Kat Kanning]

Why?  Do politicians tell the truth?

[feralfae]

Please share around!  Thank you, ff


For Immediate release

###

Jury Rights Day September 5, 2008

Friday marks the 338th anniversary of when jurors refused to convict William
Penn of violating England's Conventicle Acts, despite clear evidence that he
acted illegally by preaching a Quaker sermon.  In refusing to convict Penn,
the jurors ignored what they knew to be an unjust law.  This is known as
jury nullification.

By refusing to enforce what they knew was an unjust law, the Penn jurors
served justice, and provided a basis for our First Amendment rights to
freedom of speech, religion, and peaceable assembly.  For refusing to find
Penn guilty, the judge sent four of Penn's jurors to prison. Their
exoneration fixed forever the English and American doctrine that jurors have
the responsibility to decide both matters of law and fact in any case before
them. Individual jurors are last line of defense for people who are
prosecuted under bad laws by overzealous prosecutors and court officials.

The Founders intended that jurors would use their rights and
responsibilities to judge the law and the facts in every trial, and do
justice.  The Sixth and Seventh Amendments were included in the Bill of
Rights to guarantee that every person brought to trial has Juror Protection.

Juror nullification is integral to our judicial system. It is one of the
"checks and balances" of justice required by a free society. An individual
juror has the authority to stop an unjust prosecution by refusing to
convict.  No reason for the verdict is required. Most Grand and Petit Jurors
do not know about their authority.  This authority must be restored to
protect us.

Our Founders embraced juror nullification as necessary to a free society.
Nullification is the test that all laws must pass.  Juror nullification has
been used by jurors throughout our history to "nullify" unpopular and unjust
laws, ranging from laws against witches, publishing the truth, free speech,
religion, hiding slaves, and Prohibition.

The Fully Informed Jury Association (www.fija.org) is dedicated to educating
all Americans about the authority of the Juror.  FIJA publishes and
distributes educational material but depends upon grassroots activists to
inform jurors of their rights and to undertake state-level lobbying or
ballot-issue efforts.

###

Contact:

Iloilo Marguerite Jones

Executive Director

406-442-7800

aji@fija.org

http://www.fija.org

362 words

[Kat Kanning]

http://www.newhampshirefreepress.com/NHFreePress/?q=node/215

[KBCraig]

http://www.fija.org//index.php?page=displaytxt&id=222

Governors from Alaska, Washington and New Hampshire sign Proclamations commemorating Jury Rights Day.

http://www.fija.org/docs/upload/turneyandpalin.pdf

[feralfae]

http://www.newhampshirefreepress.com/NHFreePress/?q=node/215

Thank you Kat!
It was great timing that Palin signed the proclamation just when she was being introduced to the country!  I plan to mention the publicity when we request proclamations from others.   

feralfae