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Let's say a Jew is serving on a jury that is deciding the sentence for someone (even more powerfully, a Jew) convicted (under US law) of a capital offense. The judge instructs the jury that the two...
#2: Post edited
Let's say a Jew is serving on a Jew that is deciding the sentence for someone (even more powerfully, a Jew) convicted (under US law) of a capital offense. The judge instructs the jury that the two possible sentences are death or a protracted incarceration.- Can a Jew serve on such a jury? If the Jew believes that only a beit din can exact a death penalty then he will vote against the penalty even if the laws of the US (dina demalchuta dina) indicate that the penalty is called for.
- Can a Jew be in favor of a secular law which doesn't follow the process of the Jewish legal system? Can he be against it on a religious level and still be following the rules of applying secular law?
- Let's say a Jew is serving on a jury that is deciding the sentence for someone (even more powerfully, a Jew) convicted (under US law) of a capital offense. The judge instructs the jury that the two possible sentences are death or a protracted incarceration.
- Can a Jew serve on such a jury? If the Jew believes that only a beit din can exact a death penalty then he will vote against the penalty even if the laws of the US (dina demalchuta dina) indicate that the penalty is called for.
- Can a Jew be in favor of a secular law which doesn't follow the process of the Jewish legal system? Can he be against it on a religious level and still be following the rules of applying secular law?
#1: Initial revision
Sentencing a defendant to death
Let's say a Jew is serving on a Jew that is deciding the sentence for someone (even more powerfully, a Jew) convicted (under US law) of a capital offense. The judge instructs the jury that the two possible sentences are death or a protracted incarceration. Can a Jew serve on such a jury? If the Jew believes that only a beit din can exact a death penalty then he will vote against the penalty even if the laws of the US (dina demalchuta dina) indicate that the penalty is called for. Can a Jew be in favor of a secular law which doesn't follow the process of the Jewish legal system? Can he be against it on a religious level and still be following the rules of applying secular law?