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> From what little I know about it, it seems that if enough people in a community knew about it, they could 100% control what crimes are punished in that community.

Only in one direction, I think. Jury nullification still can't render a guilty verdict, when the law says the defendant ain't guilty. (At least in principle.)



If a community really wants to severely punish something that's legally not a crime, jury nullification enables the community representatives to enact whatever extrajudicial punishment they want (e.g. the existing examples of lynching or "honor killings"/"honor rapes" in certain communities) and then protect these punishers from the legal system.


To a certain extent, yes, but the punishers need to be tried locally, too, for this to work.


It's in only one direction, because a jury cannot form itself and pick a victim to falsely convict.


A jury can still falsely convict, but a defendant can appeal a guilty verdict.

Non-guilty verdicts are more final.




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