In the early 1800s, nullification was practiced in cases brought under the Alien and Sedition Act. In the mid 1800s, northern juries practiced nullification in prosecutions brought against individuals accused of harboring slaves in violation of the Fugitive Slave Laws.

When was jury nullification used?

Jury nullification was practised in the 1850s to protest the federal Fugitive Slave Act, which was part of the Compromise of 1850.

What is an example of jury nullification?

Jury nullification takes place when jurors acquit a defendant who is factually guilty because they disagree with the law as written. For example, during Prohibition, juries who disagreed with alcohol control laws often acquitted defendants who had been caught red handed smuggling alcohol.