People v. Williams
California Supreme Court
21 P.3d 1209 (2001)
- Written by Craig Conway, LLM
Facts
Arasheik Williams (defendant), who was 18 years old, was indicted for criminal conduct committed against his 16-year-old former girlfriend, Jennifer B., during three separate incidents on three different days. For one of the incidents, Williams was charged with the misdemeanor offense of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. During jury deliberations, Juror No. 10 expressly refused to follow the trial court’s instructions regarding the crime of statutory rape, because he disagreed with the law criminalizing the behavior. The trial court dismissed Juror No. 10 and replaced him with an alternate. Williams was convicted of several charges, including the misdemeanor offense of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Williams appealed, arguing that the trial court had erred in dismissing Juror No. 10, who was exercising the right to juror nullification. The court of appeals affirmed Williams’s conviction. The Supreme Court of California granted review.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (George, C.J.)
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