Courts Cracking Down on Jurors

Sep 17th, 2009 | By Josh Camson | Category: Featured, Web 2.0

jurybox The San Francisco Superior Court proposed a rule to warn jurors that they cannot conduct internet research on cases, Law.com reports. The proposed rule would mandate a cover sheet attached to initial juror questionnaires. The cover sheet would include the internet research warning:

You may not do research about any issues involved in the case. You may not blog, Tweet, or use the Internet to obtain or share information.

The rule comes after Judge James McBride had to dismiss an entire panel of 600 jurors when he discovered that a large number of them had done research on the case. The court then had to start the voir dire process from the beginning.

It seems that warnings like these will need to become commonplace in most courthouses. Today when we hear something we want to know more about, it is almost second instinct to Google it. For that reason, a San Diego court is giving even stricter instructions.

In the Jennifer Strange water intoxication case, jurors are required to sign statements about their faithfulness to the judge’s instruction. According to the San Diego Union Tribune:

[J]urors will have to sign declarations attesting that they will not use “personal electronic and media devices” to research or communicate about any aspect of the case. That includes computers, cell phones and laptops. Jurors will have to sign the declarations, made under penalty of perjury, both before and after they serve.

Despite the strict warning and penalty of perjury, some critics believe jurors will continue to do their own research. California courts are obviously getting stricter with their jurors. Will the trend catch on? Only time will tell.

Rex Gradeless September 18th, 2009 5:32 pm :
What about those sitting in the courtroom? If they are able to bring in mobile devices, the people inside the courtroom may also be broadcasting the events inside the courtroom.

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