You and I have the power to end Nixon's failed War on Drugs once-and-for-all. In fact, it's our constitutional right to do so. Imagine for a second that you've been selected as a juror for the trial of someone like Jacob Lavoro, the 19-year-old Austin, Texas man currently facing anywhere from five years to life in prison for making a pound-and-a-half of pot brownies.

 

You know that based on the all evidence presented by the prosecution that the defendant is probably guilty, but you and other jurors on the case have serious doubts about convicting him because you know that doing so will ruin the defendant's life. You're trapped. The law says one thing, but your conscience says the other. So what do you do?

 

Easy - you use your power of jury nullification. You declare the defendant "not guilty" regardless of the evidence and let him walk free, "nullifying" the unjust or unfair law. Just like the Supreme Court has the power to strike down laws, you too as an American citizen have the power to reject laws when you're serving on a jury.

 

If you haven't heard of jury nullification before, that's not all that surprising. The powers that be really don't want anyone to know about it because it represents a direct threat to the status quo. Defense lawyers, for example, aren't allowed to talk about a jury's right to nullify during a trial and saying that you know about nullification is actually one of the easiest ways to avoid jury duty altogether.

 

Read more here.

 

-Thom

       

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Daniel Schulman, Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

 

Have a question or comment for Thom? Grab your phone, hit record and send your video to YourTakeMyTake@gmail.com and we may air it on "The Big Picture."

 

Congratulations Thom! Thom Hartmann to Receive 2014 Freedom of Speech Award

 

Lone Liberal Rumble:
- Cameron Seward, The Heritage Foundation    
- Andrew Kloster, The Heritage Foundation    

 

Conversations with Great Minds - Daniel Schulman, Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty / Mother Jones Magazine    

  

Community Square  

 "Solar Roadways ???"  

 

Tuesday's Daily Stack 

Article: "Seven Dead in 'Premeditated Mass Murder' Shooting Near California College Campus" by Martin Pengelly, Martin Williams.

Article: "2nd Amendment". A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Book: The Second Amendment: A Biography by Michael Waldman.

Article: "How the NRA Rewrote the Second Amendment" by Michael Waldman.

Video: MSNBC: Michael Waldman on the Second Amendment.

Article: "What Did the Framers Really Mean?" by Joe Nocera.

Letter: "The omission of a bill of rights" from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, December 20, 1787. "I will now add what I do not like..."

Article: "Habeas corpus" by Wikipedia.

Article: "5th Amendment" (double jeopardy, witness against self, due process, due compensation).

Article: "6th Amendment" (speedy trial, witnesses, defense).

Article: "7th Amendment" (trial by jury).

Article: "8th Amendment" (cruel and unusual punishment).

Article: "Constitution of the United States" Article 1, section 8."... To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; ..."

 

Article: "Constitution of the United States", article 3 section 2. "... the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make..."

Article: "Federalist No. 81" (The Judiciary Continued, and the Distribution of the Judicial Authority) by Alexander Hamilton.

Article: "Federalist No. 82" (The Judiciary Continued) by Alexander Hamilton.

Article: "Federalist No. 84" by Alexander Hamilton (The Judiciary Continued in Relation to Trial by Jury).

Article: "Federalist No. 84" by Alexander Hamilton (Bill of Rights).

Case: "Brown v. Board Of Education", 1954 (Segregation in public schools) (overturned Plessy v. Ferguson).

Case: "Marbury v. Madison", 1803 (judicial review).

Case: "Dred Scott v. Sandford", 1857.

Case: "Plessy v. Ferguson", 1896.

Book: The Supremacists: The Tyranny of Judges and How to Stop It by Phyllis Schlafly.

Law: "2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act For Further Recovery From And Response To Terrorist Attacks On The United States" (Section 706 - rider for brush clearing for Tom Daschle).

Picture: "Gun toting, veggie-eating, liberal mama!".

Article: "The Second Amendment was Ratified to Preserve Slavery" by Thom Hartmann.

Speech: "Patrick Henry to the Virginia Ratifying Convention (June 24 1788)".

 

Article: "Grand Theft Auto (video game)" by Wikipedia.

Book: "Man's Rise to Civilization: The Cultural Ascent of the Indians of North America" by Peter Farb.

Article: "Debate in Virginia Ratifying Convention", 14 June 1788.

Article: "Virginia Ratifying Convention: June 16, 1788." (Article 1, Section 8).

Quote: "I was struck with surprise when I heard him express himself alarmed with respect to the emancipation of slaves" - James Madison".

Book: The Constitution a Pro-slavery Compact: Or, Extracts from the Madison Papers, Etc by James Madison.

Article: "Battle of Bladensburg", 24 August 1814 by Wikipedia.

Article: "Arming America" by Wikipedia.

Hour Two: Time to get rid of open carry gun laws?
- Neil McCabe, Guns & Patriots Newsletter  

Article: "UCSB shooting victim's father: Blame NRA and "craven" politicians" by Sarah Gray.

Article: "How the Gun Industry Preys on Paranoid, Insecure Men Like Elliot Rodger" by Amanda Marcotte.

Article: "Australia's Gun Control Law Caused A Drop In Gun-Related Deaths, And An Even Bigger Drop In Suicides" by Jeff Spross.

Site: "The No Billionaires Campaign".

 

Article: "I said this last year and it deserves repeating. We didn't fight for your freedom." by upaloopa.

Article: "For today: Marine Major General Smedly D. Butler: "War is a Racket"" by trof.

Article: "Why Inequality Matters" by My Fair London in association with The Equality Trust.

Book: "The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger" by Richard Wilkinson, Kate Pickett.

 

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Victoria Jones 

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 5/27/14" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 5/28/14" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Report: White House May OK Training Syrian Rebels" by TRNS.

Article: "Obama To Keep 9,800 Troops in Afghanistan After 2014" by William McDonald.

Article: "High court rules for death-row inmates with low IQ" by AP.

Hour Three: Race to the primary
- Marianne Williamson, Marianne for Congress 

Bill: "H.R. 808: Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2013" by Barbara Lee.

Article: "By The Numbers: How The Santa Barbara Shooting Reflects A Culture Of Violence Against Women" by Bryce Covert and Adam Peck.

 

Article: "Guns Are Far More Likely to Be Used in Suicide Than in Killing Bad Guys" by Redfairen.

Site: "New England Salem Children's Village" (NESCV).

Site: Hunter School 

Article: "Joe the Plumber: "Your Dead Kids Don't Trump My Constitutional Rights"" by Adam Weinstein.

Article: "In Georgia, You Can Carry a Gun, But You Need a Prescription for a Vibrator" by Jessica Valenti.

Bible: "Matthew 25:31-46 (New International Version)".

 

Article: "5 Ways the Poor Are More Ethical Than the Rich" by Paul Buchheit.

Article: "The City of Portland Just Took a Powerful Stand Against Walmart" by Zak Cheney-Rice .

Article: "AT&T purchase of DirecTV: Is (much) bigger better for media consumers? (+video)" by Harry Bruinius.

Article: "McDonald's CEO insists fast-food giant pays 'fair wages' as protesters rally" by Dominic Rushe.

Article: "When Customer Demanded Servers 'Show More Skin,' One Restaurant Owner Responded Like A Boss" by Bryce Covert.

Free excerpt, read book for free at Truthout, buy the book!

Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

 

Hour Two: 'No guns' doesn't mean more crime
- Timothy Johnson, Media Matters for America  

 

Hour Three: Ukraine...what's next?
- Stephen Cohen, The Nation Magazine 

 

 

Hour Four: Let's amend the constitution
- Peter Schiff, The Peter Schiff Show 

 

Hour Five: What is 'New Economic Perspectives'?
- William K. Black, University of Missouri in Kansas City 

 

 

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...

Thursday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

Under a new bill, federal agencies would be required to fire employees who are tax delinquents...we'll find out what that's all about...

 

Plus, forget about coal and gas, America needs more solar power! I'll have a conversation with Rhone Resch, President & CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association

 

And, the best of the rest of the news together with your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

 

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

Thank you for being part of our ever growing community for News, Debate and Opinion on the Thom Hartmann Program.

 

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Watch Thom on: - MSNBC's The Cycle
- CNN's Crossfire
- Democracy Now!

You Can Be Subversive on Jury Duty

Politics Panel - Conservatives Trust Markets not Voters

Politics Panel - Time for the Bloodshed to Stop

The Truth about the Second Amendment

Conversations with Great Minds P1: The major dangers from GMO crops

Conversations with Great Minds P2: The major dangers from GMO crops

Full Show 5/27/14: Radiation Levels Keep Rising Near Fukushima Plant

Tonight's "Politics Panel" discusses the latest mass shooting, the Supreme Court's recent death penalty ruling and whether Virginia will finally accept Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. Thom discusses the second amendment with Michael Waldman, author of the new book "The Second Amendment: A Biography," how radiation levels continue to rise around the Fukushima plant in tonight's "Green Report" and tonight's "Daily Take" discusses how average Americans can help end Nixon's "war on drugs."

Thom Hartmann on Science & Green News: May 26, 2014

Bubbles and Piketty...

If The Law Is Bullsh*t, You Must Acquit

Caller: Liability Insurance on Guns, Where Does it End?

Why Don't we Honor the Peacemakers?

The Thom Hartmann Program - May 27, 2014

Race to the Primary...

Hartmann: Guns Should be Regulated Like Cars

Shooting Victim's Dad Blasts NRA for Son's Death...

The Thom Hartmann Program - May 27, 204 p2

Thom Hartmann on Economic and Labor News: May 26, 2014