www.fija.org
Our mission is to inform all Americans about their rights, powers, and re sponsibilities when serving as trial jurors. Jurors must know that they have the option and the responsibility to render a verdict based on thei r conscience and on their sense of justice as well as on the merits of t he law.
Thank you for your interest in the American Jury Institute and Fully Informed Jury Association (AJI/FIJA). I hope that when you have f inished learning about AJI/FIJA, you will decide to become a supporter. As I am sure you know, the highest and best function of the jury is not, as many think, to dispense punishment to fellow citizens accused of bre aking government-authored law, but rather to protect fellow citizens fro m tyrannical laws imposed by a power-hungry government. Jurors have a duty and responsibility to render a just verdict. They must take into account the facts of the case, mitigating circumstances, and the merits of the law and its application. The power and right of jurors to weigh the merits of the law dates from before the writing of our Con stitution, in cases such as those of William Penn and Peter Zenger. Shou ld this right ever be repealed, the people will retain the unalienable r ight to nullify oppressive laws, and in fact then would be compelled to do so. Jurors refusing to convict in under bad, misapplied or unjust law s and prosecution are not committing anarchy: they are practicing good c itizenship! Jurors, as the representatives of the people, hold no agenda during any t rial and most certainly not the government's agenda. Let us not forget t hat the prosecutors, judges, arresting officers - and the forensic inves tigators in most cases - are all a part of and paid by government, with personal power bases to build and personal careers to protect through th e productivity of successful prosecutions resulting in convictions. The first and foremost function of our jurors is to protect private citiz ens from a tyrannical and intrusive government when tyranny is expressed through laws usurping the free expression and practice of the unalienab le rights of the people. Jurors protect against tyranny by refusing to c onvict, and our Founding Fathers planned and expected jurors would exerc ise this power without question. Juries are the last defense of liberty before we resort to arms, and thus our best defense without loss of life . We sponsor educational seminars for attorneys and judges, publish comment ary, develop and present amicus briefs when jury function is an issue in a case, provide interviews to the media, speak at functions and in clas srooms, and of course distribute educational literature. With the recent Patriot Act and other repressive and tyrannical actions on the part of our government agencies and representatives, it is more necessary than e ver that freedom-loving people be seated on juries and work to defend ou r unalienable rights. For more information on AJI/FIJA, call our free 1-800-TEL-JURY informatio n request line and a free packet of information will be sent to you. Tha nk you again for your interest in the American Jury Institute and FIJA, and I hope you will join with us in our work.
Welcome The American Jury Institute and Fully Informed Jury Association (AJI/FIJA ) is a nonpartisan public policy research and education organization loc ated in Helena, Montana. AJI/FIJA focuses on issues involving the role o f the jury in our justice system and the preservation of the full functi on of the jury as the final arbiter in our courts of law. The AJI/FIJA m ission is to inform all Americans about their rights, powers and respons ibilities when serving as trial jurors. AJI/FIJA works to restore the po litical function of the jury as the final check and balance on our Ameri can system of government. To ensure public understanding of the power and function of the jury, AJI /FIJA hosts conferences and Continuing Legal Education seminars. AJI/FIJ A publishes an extensive variety of educational and research literature, and answers queries from the public, scholars and legal professionals. As well, AJI/FIJA officers are often featured speakers and guest comment ators in the press, where they discuss cases in which jury selection, in formation, or jury instructions had a significant role in the outcome of the case. To maintain its independence, AJI/FIJA accepts no government funding. AJI /FIJA programs and publications are possible because of generous contrib utions received from individual donors, foundations and corporations. AJ I/FIJA generates revenue through seminar fees and the sale of AJI/FIJA p ublications and materials. FIJA is a public policy nonprofit, tax-exempt educational foundation under Section 501 3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
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