Nancy King

Jury nullification should be prohibited for several reasons, Nancy King argues in the following viewpoint. She argues that while nullification has sometimes been used as a weapon against oppressive laws, it has also been a means to acquit people who committed crimes against African Americans and to acquit rapists if the jury believed the victim dressed or acted provocatively. She also disputes the assertion that jurors are more qualified than legislators in determining whether a law is just. King concludes that judges must take steps to ensure that juries are not prevented from delivering an appropriate verdict because of the political views and personal opinions of one or two jurors. King is an associate dean and professor at Vanderbilt University Law School in Nashville, Tennessee.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to King, why was the...