Political Quotes

Lysander Spooner: The consequence is, that jurors must have the whole case in their hands, and judge of law, evidence, and sentence, or…

On the record
The consequence is, that jurors must have the whole case in their hands, and judge of law, evidence, and sentence, or they incur the moral responsibility of accomplices in any injustice which they have reason to believe will be done by the government on the authority of their verdict.
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Lysander Spooner

Editor's note · Context

Spooner insists that jurors must fully understand the case to avoid complicity in governmental injustices stemming from their verdicts.

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Since Magna Carta, we have evidence showing quite conclusively that all freemen, above the age of twenty-one years, were eligible as jurors.

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And the right is practically established only when and because the government, no longer exists to call it in question.

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They are every day committing errors, which would be crimes, but for their ignorance of the law.

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It would be a solecism and absurdity in government to allow such consequences as these.

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