JURY DUTY
Discussion board for business class
discussion board for business class. this week topic will be about Juror duty. Minimum 200 words with in text citation and at least one source.
Referred to as the “Google Mistrial,” a federal judge in Florida declared a mistrial after a juror told that judge that he had been doing research on the Internet on the drug trial in which he was serving. When the judge declared the mistrial, eight other jurors confessed that they had been doing the same thing. Judges have long warned jurors about using outside sources, including the Internet, but BlackBerries and iPhones have proven to be mighty tempting for jurors. Some jurors are using Facebook to announce when verdicts are coming. One juror even looked up evidence that had been excluded by the judge in the case. When asked why he violated the judge’s order, the juror said simply, “Well, I was curious.” Another juror contacted the defendant through Facebook, and another mistrial resulted. A judge in Arkansas is reviewing a request for a reversal of a $12.6 million jury verdict against a company from one of the company’s lawyers based on the court’s discovery that one of the jurors was using. Twitter to send out postings about how the trial was proceeding. An excerpt from the posting follows: “Oh, and nobody buy Stoam. It’s bad mojo and they’ll probably cease to Exist now that their wallet is $12m lighter … So, Jonathan, what did you do today? Oh nothing really, I just gave away TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS of somebody else’s money.”
What is the problem with jurors using these electronic tools during their cases? When answering the post, it would be helpful to define what is a jury and what is the purpose of a jury in a court proceeding.
You must post an original comment of 150-250 words with citation to sources used,
Answer preview
A jury is a collective term used to refer to a group of 12 regular citizens who are selected and sworn in to apply the facts in a case to reach a just and fair determination of a case. The rationale of the system is that the jury is well acquainted with the context and background of the area, and can, therefore, render fair outcomes. In civil cases, they decide liability. Jurors consider only evidence adduced in court after guidance by the judge on all legal issues. After the case, jurors must decide issues and read their verdict they don’t determine the sentences. Jurors must exercise independence and impartiality and keep their deliberations confidential.
Access to the internet by jurors is a cause of concern. The first problem is that they can easily access prejudicial information online. This…
(280 words)