I’m not able to read the article but one of a few things could be happening here.
One, the jury may have found that even though they made the plans the state couldn’t prove they ever actually tried to carry them out. A conspiracy is just talk until someone does something that can be directly tied to it. For instance, you and a group of friends make dark jokes about building guillotines and turning them on your entire government. Just jokes, until big Tim shows up one day with a bunch of lumber and y’all start talking about how to actually build one. Now you’re commiting seditious conspiracy.
If the prosecution proved they made plans, but failed to prove they did anything to carry them out, they could be rightfully acquitted.
Another possibility, one I think is much less likely, and this is important reading further may bar you from ever serving on a jury. Just FYI.
The concept of nullification, the jury finds a law has been broken, but decides that this person shouldn’t be punished, so returns a not guilty verdict. This can happen for a variety of reasons and was common in the South during Jim Crow. Because the jury can’t really be wrong, legally speaking, and you can’t be tried twice for the same crime, under normal circumstances, the crime would go unpunished.
I don’t get it, they were acquitted, but the jury found they had planned to kidnap hey and blow up a bridge?
I’m not able to read the article but one of a few things could be happening here.
One, the jury may have found that even though they made the plans the state couldn’t prove they ever actually tried to carry them out. A conspiracy is just talk until someone does something that can be directly tied to it. For instance, you and a group of friends make dark jokes about building guillotines and turning them on your entire government. Just jokes, until big Tim shows up one day with a bunch of lumber and y’all start talking about how to actually build one. Now you’re commiting seditious conspiracy.
If the prosecution proved they made plans, but failed to prove they did anything to carry them out, they could be rightfully acquitted.
Another possibility, one I think is much less likely, and this is important reading further may bar you from ever serving on a jury. Just FYI.
The concept of nullification, the jury finds a law has been broken, but decides that this person shouldn’t be punished, so returns a not guilty verdict. This can happen for a variety of reasons and was common in the South during Jim Crow. Because the jury can’t really be wrong, legally speaking, and you can’t be tried twice for the same crime, under normal circumstances, the crime would go unpunished.