Judge Threatens To Impose A “Secret Jury” After Activists Try to Inform Jurors of Legal Rights

 

New York City, New York – According to multiple reports, Judge Katherine Forrest has threatened to impose a secret jury in the case of accused Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht, in response to jury nullification outreach that has been taking place outside the courtroom all week. For those who don’t know, jury nullification is basically the right for any juror to not only judge the facts of the case, but to also actually judge the validity of the law itself. This means that if a jury feels that a defendant is facing an unjust charge, they actually have the right to rule in the defendant’s favor, even if they are technically guilty under the court’s standards.
However, authorities in the court system prefer that this fact is unknown by jurors, so they can continue to persecute people for nonviolent, victim-less crimes. In the case of Ross Ulbricht, Judge Forrest has went through great lengths to see that the jury will not be fully informed about their rights to judge the legitimacy of the law.
Not only has the judge dismissed a number of jurors because they were made aware of jury nullification, but she has also now threatened to impose a secret jury if activists don’t stop their jury outreach.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/judge-threatens-impose-secret-jury-ross-ulbricht-silk-road-case/#68QeDsFOGvPFtqtp.99