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Fall 2012 Volume 1, Issue 1
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FALL 2012 VOLUME 1
The Lightbulb Newsletter
is produced by a group
of activists from Southern
California known best as The
Human Solution. THS advo-
cates for patients’ rights and
believes that no one should
go to jail for a plant. Our Court
and Prison Support Programs
help provide assistance to
non-violent cannabis defen-
dants and criminals through
the struggle for their freedom.
It shows that we stand in
solidarity against unjust laws
that punish good people. Few
realize that jurors cannot be
penalized for their decision not
to convict a defendant using
laws that they feel are unjust
or applied inappropriately to
the defendant. The concept is
called Jury Nullifi cation or Jury
Veto. We wear the green rib-
bon with the red cross to show
our support for medical can-
nabis patients and remind us
all to act on what we know is
right. We stand in solidarity to
show our peers that it matters.
Will you stand with us?
Jury Veto By: Stephanie Landa
Jury Nullifi cation or Jury Veto occurs
when a jury returns a verdict of “not guilty”
despite the belief that the defendant is or
may be guilty of the violation charged. By
these actions, the jury nullifi es a law that
it feels is either unjust or applied inap-
propriately to the defendant whose life
and liberty they hold in their grasp. Our
founding generations set forth the Bill of
Rights to protect the people from abuse
of power. The Sixth of those Amend-
ments to the Constitution affi rms that in
all criminal prosecutions, the defendant
will have a fair and speedy public trial by
an impartial jury of his peers. Thomas
Jefferson once said, “I consider trial by
jury as the only anchor yet imagined by
man by which a government can be held
to the principles of its constitutions.”
Judges today instruct many juries to
judge only the facts in a case; and take
direction on the points of law from them
directly. Yet even our founding fathers un-
derstood Jury Veto “…it is not only [the ju-
ror’s] right, but his duty, to fi nd the verdict
according to his own best understanding,
judgment and conscience, though in
direct opposition to the direction of the
court.” John Adams, 1771.
Jury Nullifi cation is a doctrine devel-
oped in response to a juror serving on
a case against William Penn and Wil-
liam Mead in 1670. The pair had been
arrested for illegally preaching a
Quaker sermon and disturbing the
peace. Four jurors refused to fi nd him
guilty despite the judge’s repeated
orders for further deliberation. After
pressure from the judge, the jury
found Penn guilty of only the fi rst
count and acquitted Mead. The Judge
imprisoned those jurors for three
days to force them to return a guilty
verdict, but again they refused. They
were then imprisoned for months
before invoking their Writ of Habeas
Corpus to Chief Justice Vaughan who
released them, calling the power to
punish a jury “absurd”. During the
prohibition of alcohol, juries nullifi ed
repeatedly likely contributing to the
21st amendment repealing alcohol
prohibition. In 1969 US vs Moylan,
courts recognized “the jury has the
power to acquit, and the courts must
abide by that decision.” In a handful of
cases this concept has been applied
to the costly war on drugs.
On June 18, 2012 Governor Lynch
of New Hampshire signed HB 146
which reads, “a Right of Accused. In
all criminal proceedings the court shall
permit the defense to inform the jury
of it’s right to judge the facts and the
application of the law in relation to
the facts in controversy.” Although the
law doesn’t go into effect until fi rst of
the year, it seems to be catching as a
59-year-old rastafarian by the name of
Doug Darrell was acquitted after being
charged for felony cultivation.
Jury Nullifi cation is an important albeit
small part in the overall legal structure
by which our country is governed. A
juror with a conscience is a defender
of the people; a freedom fi ghter. This
juror is one who educates themselves
and others about Jury Veto in order to
protect American citizens from unjust
convictions. The Human Solution
advocates for the rights of patients
because no one should go to jail for
a plant. For more information visit our
website at www.the-human-solution.
org or the Fully Informed Jury As-
sociation at www.fi ja.org .
Coming Events
OCT 1- Signature Collection
Kick-Off for Common Sense
Lake Elsinore
OCT 9- Rally for Aaron
Sandusky Trial
NOV 3- Can-Can Golf
Tournament Fundraiser
NOV 13- Rally for Joe
Grumbine Trial
NOV 17- Solidarity Games
See our website for more
information on these
events and more!
www.the-human-solution.org
OCT 27- Know Your Rights
Autumn Garden Summit
ACTION ALERT
FROM THE GULAG
By nature prison is a cold and
lonely place, and the injustice
of being locked up for a plant
as safe and therapeutic as
cannabis does not make that
loneliness any easier to bear.
Writing a letter to an inmate
lets that person know that there
are those of us out here who
remember and support them.
Sadly, mail in prison is rare and
many do not get any letters at
all. Longing for contact from
the outside world, every letter
is read and re-read in efforts
to hold onto those precous
connections to humanity and
freedom. By writing a letter
today you are showing your
support and brightening the day
of an inmate who shouldn’t be
incacerated for a plant. Paper-
back books and magazines are
always appreciated as well.
For more information about
The Human Solution and our
Prison Outreach Program visit
us online at www.the-human-
solution.org. Or visit us for more
information on how to locate
inmates and help Cannabis
POW’s with just a few moments
of your time. Take ACTion today
for a brighter future.
Excerpt from Letter: Dr. Molly
Fry a crime of compassion
November 8, 2011. “El Dorado
Sheriff came to our home two
years after California passed
the medical marijuana law. I had
breast cancer and my husband
Dale was growing medicine
for me. I was bald, struggling
to survive, surrounded by my
three small children in fear. As
I recovered my strength I knew
God was telling me to stand
up for others like myself so we
started a business to provide
legal documents to patients,
verifying that their doctor had
comfi rmed their illness and rec-
ommendation for marijuana for
medical use. This helped many.
Over the next several years,
juries in 25 trials found medical
patients “not guilty”. Millions of
Californians now have access
to medical marijuana and that
thought gives Dale and I both
peace of mind.”
Excerpt from Letter: Marc
Emery focus on the future
May 19, 2012. “Only 1,144 days
to go until my release date of
July 9, 2014. Reading books,
writing letters and keeping
busy. Sometimes I feel like that
movie, Groundhog Day. Trying
to stay healthy and active. Best
times are the change in routine
of visitation. Otherwise I count
down the weeks and months.
My transfer application to serve
my sentence in Canada was
refused by the DOJ despite the
fact that I qualifi ed under all 26
criteria. My sentencing judge
recommended my transfer and
I had 17 members of Parlia-
ment, 3 Mayors, 2 Legislators,
and 2 Councilors write to the
DOJ endorsing my transfer. I
just keep the future on my mind.
When I return, Jodi and I will
tour Canada, Europe, Australia,
New Zealand, India and Japan
to speak about cannabis.”
Excerpt from Letter: Tom
Kikuchi slave labor legal for
prisoners April 21, 2012. “Four
years ago today I got caught up
in the Bureau of prison’s slave
labor racket. Did you know that
slavery is still legal? If you read
the constitutional amendment
that abolished slavery, it makes
an exception in the case of
prisoners. The BOP takes full
advantage of this loophole by
making inmates do various jobs
maintaining the prisons. They
pay us a few cents per hour for
our troubles and toss us back in
cages when they are done.”
Excerpt from Visit: Brian Epis
jury veto is our main defense
September 20, 2012. “I would
like to request an important
favor from anyone reading this.
Please join Facebook Group
“Jury Nullifi cation!” at web ad-
dress below. After you join, I
would like you to add at least 10
of your friends. This is the main
tool we have to fi ght cannabis
prohibition right now. Jury Veto
can stop bad laws from hurting
good people. I have 266 days
Excerpt from Letter: Dale
Schafer on the development
of medical use August 3,
2011. “American citizens were
beginning to defend themselves
against state marijuana charges
on the principle of medical
necessity. In the mid-1960’s
researchers at Harvard Medical
School had discovered that
marijuana, as a side effect, low-
ered ocular pressure. Glaucoma
patients who were refractory to
conventional treatment, found
the eyesight saving benefi ts of
marijuana. Other patients, some
with the cooperation of the then
treating physicians discovered
the many medical benefi ts of
the cannabis plant.”
(38 weeks) to go. Please make
my day brighter by joining Jury
Nullifi cation Group at shortcut
http://on.fb.me/SwNUXF or look
for a link on the upcoming web-
site thelightbulbnews.com.
The Lightbulb Newsletter is
compiled by Barbara Kush Media.
All Rights Reserved.
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