Explain the concept of jury nullification. Why do judges tend to dislike it?
What will be an ideal response?
Jury nullification, which has its roots in English common law, occurs when a juror believes that the
evidence presented at trial establishes the defendant’s guilt, but nonetheless the juror votes to acquit.
The juror’s decision may be motivated either by a belief that the law under which the defendant is being
prosecuted is unfair or by an objection to the application of the law in a particular case. Judges tend to
dislike jury nullification because it allows the jury to make arbitrary or discriminatory decisions, can be
used to make a political statement, and it gives jurors the power to vote based on their conscience rather
than the law. Although it is unclear how often jury nullification occurs, some research has found that as
penalties become more severe, jurors are less likely to convict and tend to apply higher standards of
proof.
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Feminist criminologists wrestle with two major concerns: (1) the generalizability problem (2) the gender ratio problem. Compare and contrast these.
What will be an ideal response?
Terrorists operate on the “world’s stage” because
a. International attacks reap propaganda benefits that are impossible when attacks are limited to domestic attacks. b. The use of social networking media and the Internet promulgate their message to a global audience. c. Media attention is immediate. d. All of the above.
The DNA technology whereby physical characteristics of individuals can be determined on the basis of a DNA profile is called ______.
A. DNA stereotyping B. DNA miniaturization C. DNA strand analysis D. DNA phenotyping
Which of the following is a correctional facility, usually operated by county government, used to hold persons awaiting trial or those who have been found guilty of misdemeanors?
a. jail b. maximum-security prison c. medium-security prison d. minimum-security prison