Jury nullification
![A nineteenth-century jury](/Images/godic/202502/02/The_Jury_by_John_Morgan0540.jpg")
![Even prior to Bushel's Case, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, a non-Episcopalian English Dissenter or Nonconformist outside of the established Church of England, was acquitted by a jury, despite the hostility of the judges.](/Images/godic/202502/02/Sir_Nicholas_Throckmorton_from_NPG0540.jpg")
Jury nullification occurs in both civil and criminal trials. In a civil trial, a jury nullifies by finding a defendant not liable, even though members of the jury may believe the defendant is liable. In a criminal trial, a jury nullifies by acquitting a defendant, even though the members of the jury may believe that the defendant did the illegal act, yet they don't believe he or she should be punished for it. This may occur when members of the jury disagree with the law the defendant has been charged with breaking, or believe that the law should not be applied in that particular case. A jury can similarly unjustly and illegally convict a defendant on the ground of disagreement with an existing law, even if no law is broken (although in jurisdictions with double jeopardy rules, a conviction can be overturned on appeal, but an acquittal cannot).