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South Park Fan
03-23-2011, 10:03 PM
Jury nullification has often been advocated as a tactic for the liberty movement. Doing the math, if only 5.5% of potential jury members exercized jury nullification, that would be sufficient to cause almost half of all victimless crime trials to end with hung juries. The consequences of this would eventually face the state with a crisis where it would be faced with rising costs just to maintain its own existance. Of course, this is assuming that the enlightened 5.5% of the population would be able to successfully feign ignorance to a judge and lawyers. Additionally, the knowledge of so many cases falling victim to jury nullification would doubtless cause the movement to spread.

Given all this, how do we expand our movement from the mere hundreds of thousands it is at right now to the necessary 5.5% of the population (or whatever critical value is necessary for jury nullification to become a formidable weapon)?

NYgs23
03-24-2011, 01:48 AM
It seems like it is already expanding, so just keep changing hearts and minds.

Kludge
03-24-2011, 01:53 AM
Wait -- how does putting people in prison for victimless crimes help the gov't budget deficit?

Taxpayers -> Prison = Less Taxes
Taxpayers -> Prison = Higher Gov't Expenditure
Taxpayers + Prison = ??? -> Profit?

dannno
03-24-2011, 01:56 AM
Wait -- how does putting people in prison for victimless crimes help the gov't budget deficit?

Taxpayers -> Prison = Less Taxes
Taxpayers -> Prison = Higher Gov't Expenditure
Taxpayers + Prison = ??? -> Profit?


Well, they do steal a lot of shit and auction it off.

Kludge
03-24-2011, 01:58 AM
Well, they do steal a lot of shit and auction it off.
Maybe the police, but that doesn't benefit the gov'ts themselves, does it?

I mean, they might "confiscate 480 lbs." of cocaine, but that doesn't mean the 520 missing lbs. of cocaine which ends up on sale benefits the gov't.

Ranger29860
03-24-2011, 03:50 AM
Wait -- how does putting people in prison for victimless crimes help the gov't budget deficit?

Taxpayers -> Prison = Less Taxes
Taxpayers -> Prison = Higher Gov't Expenditure
Taxpayers + Prison = ??? -> Profit?

Lobbyist promoting prison contracts. Its never about the government as a whole.

South Park Fan
03-24-2011, 04:09 PM
Wait -- how does putting people in prison for victimless crimes help the gov't budget deficit?

Taxpayers -> Prison = Less Taxes
Taxpayers -> Prison = Higher Gov't Expenditure
Taxpayers + Prison = ??? -> Profit?

The government already runs on a deficit. However, if jury nullification became prevalent enough such that a defendant charged with a victimless crime had an even-money chance of getting off, people on the margin would likely start refusing the pay the taxes that keep the whole system afloat to begin with. Combined with the cost of a lengthy trial and it would eventually become more trouble than its worth to pursue victimless "criminals".

enoch150
03-24-2011, 04:42 PM
How do you figure 5.5%?

The crisis that would ensue would be one of legitimacy, by the way, not financial.

Stary Hickory
03-24-2011, 04:51 PM
Wait -- how does putting people in prison for victimless crimes help the gov't budget deficit?

Taxpayers -> Prison = Less Taxes
Taxpayers -> Prison = Higher Gov't Expenditure
Taxpayers + Prison = ??? -> Profit?

Yeah this occurred to me as well.

dude58677
03-24-2011, 05:04 PM
I think Ron and Rand should be more vocal about this. Ron Paul did talk about it back in 1988 but hasn't once opened his mouth about it in recent years despite so much media attention.

South Park Fan
03-24-2011, 05:32 PM
How do you figure 5.5%?

The crisis that would ensue would be one of legitimacy, by the way, not financial.

If each juror has a 94.5% chance of NOT using jury nullification, then the chance that no juror uses jury nullification is (.945)^12, which is about .5.