Citizen
Founder's Club Member
imported post
A jury in DC decides to aquit an amputee serviceman who carried a gun with him in his wheelchair. This is a case discussed on this forum previously. This commentary from a Letter-to-the-Editor:
The Jan. 14 Metro article "Marine Amputee Acquitted on Gun Possession Charges" painted a picture of a defendant who, rejecting the advice of his court-appointed lawyer to plead guilty, fought for himself at trial and was acquitted of felony gun possession charges. The lesson appeared to be: "Don't listen to your public defender; he will just try to sell you out."
The real story -- and what the article completely missed -- is that Cpl. Melroy H. Cort apparently admitted...that he was guilty of carrying an unlicensed gun in the District but the jury nevertheless acquitted him. The jurors engaged in what is commonly known as "jury nullification" -- acquitting a defendant despite a clear violation of the law...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/24/AR2009012401613.html
ETA: I just realized this is from early 2009! How did I miss this at the time?
Three cheers for the jury!!
A jury in DC decides to aquit an amputee serviceman who carried a gun with him in his wheelchair. This is a case discussed on this forum previously. This commentary from a Letter-to-the-Editor:
The Jan. 14 Metro article "Marine Amputee Acquitted on Gun Possession Charges" painted a picture of a defendant who, rejecting the advice of his court-appointed lawyer to plead guilty, fought for himself at trial and was acquitted of felony gun possession charges. The lesson appeared to be: "Don't listen to your public defender; he will just try to sell you out."
The real story -- and what the article completely missed -- is that Cpl. Melroy H. Cort apparently admitted...that he was guilty of carrying an unlicensed gun in the District but the jury nevertheless acquitted him. The jurors engaged in what is commonly known as "jury nullification" -- acquitting a defendant despite a clear violation of the law...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/24/AR2009012401613.html
ETA: I just realized this is from early 2009! How did I miss this at the time?
Three cheers for the jury!!