What is jury nullification and what does it mean for Luigi Mangione’s defense?

Public support for the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson raises the possibility of a legal result in the gray area of American law.

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has received more public support than is typical for a man charged with first-degree murder. Outside court in New York last month, people held signs saying “Free Luigi” and protested the profit-focused health care insurance industry. Other supporters wore a green hat like the one worn by the video game character Luigi. His attorney said he’s received some emails from people offering to help pay for his legal bills. And there was extended applause at the mention of his name in a comedy bit on “Saturday Night Live.” Add it all up, and the positive public opinion for Mangione raises the remote possibility of a legal result in the gray area of American law: Jury nullification. Jury nullification is the term for when a jury declines to convict a defendant despite overwhelming evidence of guilt. This can be a form of civil disobedience, a political statement against a specific law, or a show of empathy and support to the defendant. “It’s not a legal defense sanctioned under the law,” said Cheryl Bader, associate professor of law at Fordham School of Law. “It’s a reaction by the jury to a legal result that they feel would be so unjust or morally wrong that they refuse to impose it, despite what the law says.” Over the centuries, American juries have nullified cases related to controversial topics like fugitive slave laws, Prohibition and, in recent decades, the war on drugs.