Antigone and Les Misérables: A Pathetic Look at Jury Nullification

Authors

Andrew Lambert

Library of Congress Authority File

http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79122466.html

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper considers whether and why criminal juries choose to "nullify" a verdict by acquitting the defendant despite the prosecution proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt. To examine jury nullification, this paper turns to two pieces of theater - Antigone and Les Misérables. In each play, the protagonist is unquestionably guilty of a crime but the audience champions them anyway. Examining why audiences absolve the protagonists explains why juries acquit otherwise guilty defendants.

Recommended Citation

Andrew Lambert, Antigone and Les Misérables: A Pathetic Look at Jury Nullification, 59 San Diego L. Rev. 437 (2022).
Available at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/sdlr/vol59/iss3/3