# Cato Scholar: Stop Treating Jury Independence as a Defect 

December 4, 2025 • News Releases 

A 65-year-old retired doorman in Queens is heading to prison next month — not for killing his attacker in self-defense, but for possessing the unlicensed firearm that saved his life.

In a recent op-ed titled [He Held the Door for Years, But the Court Slammed One on Him](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2A2F%2A2Fwww.cato.org%2A2Fblog/1/0100019ae9e2867d-5a9c1c7f-628f-4323-986c-6c435d5bb573-000000/i_idpnI3hHOgjtNiEevcHtC9khU=455___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjQ1ZTc4NDRiZjcwZTQyYWY1YTg2YWQzYWVhMWMxYTNkOjc6ZmZhYTozMjkzMDQyZGUyNzVmZGYxNDIyMDczYTU2ZjgzZjRjMzIxZGRiZDcxMDQ5OGM3ZTUzYjY4MGFiODE0YjRmMGMxOmg6VDpO), Cato scholar [Mike Fox](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2A2F%2A2Fwww.cato.org%2A2Fpeople%2A2Fmike-fox/1/0100019ae9e2867d-5a9c1c7f-628f-4323-986c-6c435d5bb573-000000/_OexgeHmneSgB7-awgMDRiwBdPY=455___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjQ1ZTc4NDRiZjcwZTQyYWY1YTg2YWQzYWVhMWMxYTNkOjc6YzBjMDpkY2I2MjBmNjk3MmNjMTMyNjVlNWE1YmY0ZWMyMzYyZDUyMTRhNTFmZThlYzI4MjEyZTFkZThiNTQ3YmE5MzUxOmg6VDpO) details how American juries have strayed from the founders’ intent of being the community’s conscience, in part writing:

> “We have replaced community conscience with a rubber stamp for the state. If we want a justice system that is truly constitutional, we must stop treating jury independence as a defect. An impartial jury is not one that does exactly what it is told; it is one that understands it has the power to simply say ‘no.’ ”

To speak with Fox on his recent op-ed, contact [Christopher Tarvardian.](mailto:ctarvardian@cato.org)

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