If you have been watching the news lately, you have likely heard about the shooting of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. While such an event is tragic, this shooting has sparked a nationwide debate about the healthcare and insurance industries. Many are sympathizing with the alleged shooter, Luigi Mangione. Some even believe that, if a criminal trial comes to pass, he might be acquitted through jury nullification.
Jury nullification occurs when a jury in a criminal trial acknowledges that the prosecution has met its burden of proof and that the defendant is legally guilty. However, the jury chooses to find the defendant not guilty because they believe the law is unfair or unjust, or they want to send a message regarding a larger social issue at the heart of the case. While this outcome should not be ruled out in Mangione’s case, defense attorneys likely cannot argue for jury nullification. Many judges forbid even the smallest mention of jury nullification, but the jurors may come to this conclusion on their own.
If you or someone you know is facing criminal charges, call our criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of John J. Zarych at (609) 616-4956 for a free, private case evaluation.
Is Jury Nullification Possible in the United Healthcare CEO Assassination Case?
In a criminal trial, the word of the jury is final and cannot be overturned. On top of that, jurors are protected no matter what the verdict is. While most juries do their best to apply the laws to the facts of the case, others have different ideas. Jury nullification may happen when a jury decides to find a criminal defendant not guilty despite all the evidence proving otherwise. This often occurs when juries believe the law they must apply to the case is unfair or that applying it would in some way be unjust. Other times, it is because of larger social issues surrounding the case, and the jury wants to send a message to the courts, legal system, and the general public.
Jury nullification is not illegal and is a real possibility. However, it is rare and does not happen all that often. However, considering the social and political issues surrounding the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, many wonder if jury nullification is more possible than we realize, at least in this particular case.
Although the case is still unfolding, many suspect that the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was assassinated because of unfair business practices within the insurance industry. While insurance has always been difficult to deal with, the shooting has sparked a greater interest in how insurance companies often hurt millions of Americans. Some are arguing that the shooter should be acquitted, regardless of what the evidence says, to send a message to insurance industry leaders.
How Does Jury Nullification Work?
Jury nullification can be tricky to understand, as it is not an actual verdict that a jury may render. Instead, jury nullification occurs when juries decide to acquit criminal defendants despite sufficient evidence to the contrary. The point of jury nullification is that the jury understands that the defendant has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt but enters a verdict of not guilty anyway. Again, the reasons behind jury nullification may vary and are not always clear. However, jury nullification is not the result of a misunderstanding of how the law should apply to the facts of the case. It is usually a deliberate choice made by the jury.
Are Attorneys Likely to Argue for Jury Nullification in the United Healthcare CEO Assassination Case?
Exactly how prosecutors and defense lawyers will handle the case of the shooting death of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare remains to be seen. The case is still unfolding, and an investigation will likely continue for some time. However, while jury nullification is possible, defense attorneys typically do not actively argue for it. While defense attorneys on this case will likely have many different legal strategies, jury nullification is probably not one of them.
Jurors must decide facts and apply the law to those facts. Arguing in favor of jury nullification gives jurors the power to decide both facts and law, which is not allowed. In many courts, judges forbid attorneys from even mentioning jury nullification. Additionally, there are arguments that it would be unethical as an officer of the court to try to get the jury to do something outside its prescribed duties. As such, it is unlikely that any lawyers involved with the case will actively or overtly argue in favor of jury nullification, whether in the press or in the courtroom.
Even so, this does not mean jury nullification is off the table. Remember, the jury’s verdict is final, and jurors are protected from legal repercussions no matter what the verdict is. If a jury decides to nullify, there is not much stopping them.
Why Jury Nullification Sometimes Happens
The reasons for jury nullification are not always clear, as jurors are not always forthcoming with their reasons behind the verdict. In many cases, jury nullification is linked to social issues surrounding a case, and jurors use the case to send a message they feel is bigger than the case itself. Considering the political and ethical debates sparked by the UnitedHealthcare case, this is not an unrealistic possibility.
After the shooting, people flooded the internet with stories about how UnitedHealthcare and other health insurance companies denied claims. Many stories describe people losing loved ones because insurance companies denied lifesaving medical care for seemingly arbitrary or bogus reasons. Others talk about how they endured pain, suffering, and a serious decline in their quality of life because health insurance companies refused to pay for medical care. As such, a lot of people are finding it hard to feel sorry for the victim of this tragic shooting, and they are hoping something like jury nullification may send a big message to insurance industry leaders.
Ultimately, we will have to wait to find out what happens with this case, as it is still unfolding, and more information is coming out every day.
Contact Our Criminal Defense Lawyers for Help
If you or someone you know is facing criminal charges, call our New Jersey criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of John J. Zarych at (609) 616-4956 for a free, private case evaluation.
