And “the Right Thing” being “respect the principle of the rule of law even if I find the law in question repugnant” or “respect the principles of justice as best as I individually determine them ignoring any considerations of the value of rule of law”?
(Note: my natural inclination is to favor nullification of the drug laws. But once I got thinking about it, well, hence my asking my fellow aspiring rationalists for advice)
Because you are asking for concrete advice about a real life problem, I am going address your question in the somewhat convenient world we happen to live in, and note that the Supreme Court has upheld jury nullification, and so if you decide to acquit because the law is invalid, you are acting within the rule of law.
I am trying to stay away from mind killing territory as much as possible, and so won’t comment on the less convenient world where jury nullification is explicitly illegal.
There have been more recent rulings, from what I understand, that only sorta upheld it. (including stuff along the lines of how juries have the “power” but not the “right”, which best as I can figure, means they have the de facto power, nothing can be done about it, but they shouldn’t do it.)
Anyways, I wasn’t so much asking about the legality of it itself as much as if it was the Right Thing to do, taking into account the various other considerations of the importance of rule of law/predictability of the court system, TDT style considerations of the relevant algorithm I’d be effectively running, etc.
And “the Right Thing” being “respect the principle of the rule of law even if I find the law in question repugnant” or “respect the principles of justice as best as I individually determine them ignoring any considerations of the value of rule of law”?
(Note: my natural inclination is to favor nullification of the drug laws. But once I got thinking about it, well, hence my asking my fellow aspiring rationalists for advice)
Because you are asking for concrete advice about a real life problem, I am going address your question in the somewhat convenient world we happen to live in, and note that the Supreme Court has upheld jury nullification, and so if you decide to acquit because the law is invalid, you are acting within the rule of law.
I am trying to stay away from mind killing territory as much as possible, and so won’t comment on the less convenient world where jury nullification is explicitly illegal.
There have been more recent rulings, from what I understand, that only sorta upheld it. (including stuff along the lines of how juries have the “power” but not the “right”, which best as I can figure, means they have the de facto power, nothing can be done about it, but they shouldn’t do it.)
Anyways, I wasn’t so much asking about the legality of it itself as much as if it was the Right Thing to do, taking into account the various other considerations of the importance of rule of law/predictability of the court system, TDT style considerations of the relevant algorithm I’d be effectively running, etc.
Thank you, though.