It offends them to have to convict an MS sufferer who takes a few illegal puffs to alleviate pain. They're also reluctant to make criminals out of defendants who think like them and have the same world view. And jurors don't want to risk sending to prison those who act out of genuine public interest or moral concern, even if they break the letter of the law. Most juries heed the judge's warnings and convict on the evidence, not on their feelings. But more and more jurors, it seems, are following their consciences.
Perverse verdicts are on the rise.