To understand the event "The jury convicted the criminal.", it is important to know that Even if the jury agrees that the accused person did break a law, the jury may still find the accused person innocent because that law was wrong.  This is called jury nullification of a law.  Jury nullification sets a powerful precedent for innocence in future cases involving that law.  In American democracy, the power of ordinary citizens on a jury to overturn bad laws is an important safeguard against tyranny.