User:Anarchman/Laura kriho

Laura J. Kriho
Laura Kriho was found in contempt of court after being the lone holdout for acquittal in an 11-1 vote in a drug case. The judge held that, even though she was not asked her views on the enforcement of drug laws, she obstructed justice by not volunteering them during jury selection.

Ms. Kriho's conviction was the start of a long legal battle. Eventually, the conviction was overturned on appeal, because the trial judge relied on statements from jury deliberation in the process of finding her guilty. However, while Ms. Kriho's conviction itself was overturned, the reasoning behind the reversal leaves open the possibility that other jurors may be similarly prosecuted in the future. If Ms. Kriho had said outside of the jury room everything she said inside it, then according to the appeal court's reasoning, the conviction would have stood. That is, it seems that a juror can be prosecuted for failing to state his or her views on the fairness of a law. However, only his or her statements outside the jury room can be used in such a prosecution.

See also: Jury nullification

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