United States v. Dougherty

Dougherty and eight others, the "D.C. Nine" (defendants), broke into Dow Chemical's offices and destroyed property to protest Dow's support for the U.S. government during the Vietnam War. Seven of the group were charged with malicious destruction and argued at trial that their conduct was morally justified; the trial judge refused to instruct the jury that it could disregard the law and evidence to acquit — so-called jury nullification — and barred defense counsel from raising it. The seven were convicted and appealed.