[California Ballot '98]
Can you veto bad laws?
Yes, if you've been informed. In the state of California, U.S.A., there is a new ballot initiative to make it a law that a jury must be informed by a judge in every trial of its inherent right to judge the law as well as the facts of the case before them. Justice depends on informed, educated juries, hence the Jury Education Initiative (JEI).
JURY EDUCATION COMMITTEE Board of Directors:
Pastor Wiley Drake, Hon. George Hansen, Larry Dodge, Ph.D., Peymon Mottahedeh.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Jury Education Committee is a political action committee whose mission is to enact policies and laws which bring added justice to our judicial system through educated and informed jurors. The Committee plans to promote laws which:
1. Inform trial jurors of their inherent right and power as trial jurors to veto unjust laws or unjustly applied laws and thereby stop imprisonment of the innocent; 2. Educate the grand jurors of their important duty in maintaining public trust in the integrity and uprightness of our public servants by presenting or indicting corrupt or criminal public servants; 3. Provide for adequate compensation of jurors to ensure all citizens a meaningful opportunity to become involved in their own governance as jurors.
1998 GENERAL PLAN
The Committee is currently sponsoring a statewide California initiative called the Jury Education Initiative. This initiative assures that all trial jurors will be informed by the trial judge that they may vote to acquit or find the defendant not guilty, if the law is unjust or its application would produce an unjust verdict.
In addition, this initiative guarantees that all parties in a trial will have the opportunity to present arguments to the jury which may pertain to issues of law and justice, including:
a) The merit, intent, constitutionality or applicability of the law to the defendant's case; b) The motive, moral perspective or circumstances of the defendant; c) The degree and direction of guilt or actual harm done; d) The sanctions which may be applied to the losing party.
This initiative will significantly reduce the number of innocent people who are imprisoned in California due to unjust laws or unjust application of laws.
For more information you can contact the Jury Education Committee (sponsor of the JEI) at:
13211 Myford Road #332, Tustin, CA 92782;
or call 714-838-2896/voice or fax: 714-838-2849
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Contact Us:
Jury Rights Project