Alaska has two interesting pieces of legislation pending before both the House and Senate. The first is Alaska House Bill No 140, a bill allowing the defendant to inform jurors about jury nullification. The bill's sponsor, State Representative John Coghill provides the following statement on his bill.
This legislation enacts provisions in law instructing the court to allow a defendant the right to inform the jury of their right to judge the defendant and to judge the law as it applies to the defendant. Current jury instructions for Alaskan jurors require them to "accept and follow the law as instructed by the judge even though they may have a different idea about what the law is or ought to be". HB 140 allows a jury to fully understand their role and exercise their responsibility as a jury. A jury is the only thing standing in the way of a government out of check and inherent rights of citizens being judge by the law. Jury nullification allows citizens to have the final say on what is fair in a court of law. Indiana, Georgia, and Maryland currently have provisions in their state constitutions guaranteeing jurors the right to "judge" or "determine" the law in all criminal cases.
The second bill is Alaska Senate Bill No 100, which provides jurors counseling after certain graphic, gruesome or emotional trials. The bill, which can be found below, is sponsored by State Senator Kim Elton.
(a) The trial judge may offer not more than 10 hours of post-trial psychological
counseling, without charge, to a juror or an alternate juror who serves on a trial jury in
a trial involving extraordinarily graphic, gruesome, or emotional evidence or
testimony.
(b) The counseling offered under (a) of this section applies only to a juror or
alternate juror who serves on a trial jury for a trial involving the following offenses:
(1) murder under AS 11.41.100 and 11.41.110;
(2) manslaughter under AS 11.41.120;
(3) criminally negligent homicide under AS 11.41.130;
(4) felonious assault under AS 11.41.200 - 11.41.220;
(5) a sexual offense under AS 11.41.410 - 11.41.460.
(c) The counseling offered under (a) of this section
(1) must occur not later than 180 days after the jury is dismissed;
(2) may be provided by the court system, by a state agency, or by
contract; and
(3) may be individual or group counseling.
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