The Vermont Supreme Court, in State v. Abdi, overturned the sexual assault conviction of Mr. Ali Abdi because one of the jurors who decided his case went on the Internet to research Somali Bantus. Both the defendant and the victim are Somali Bantus.
Burlington Free Press: Supreme Court Orders New Trial for Man Convicted of Sexual Assualt on a Child
The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that a Somali Bantu immigrant convicted of sexual assault on a child deserves a new trial because a juror might have been influenced by information about Somali culture he found on the Internet.
The case, the five justices ruled in a unanimous opinion, raises serious questions about jury conduct in an age when information is obtainable so easily online.
Justices noted "the increasing problem of jurors consulting the internet for outside information that this case all too clearly illustrates," read a passage of the opinion, written by Associate Justice Denise Johnson. "Although Vermont trial courts routinely admonish jurors not to consult outside sources, it may well be time to consider a stronger and more technology-specific admonition. ...
"We can not ignore the realities of our 'information age,' where the internet and other technologies have made information more widely and immediately accessible than ever before," the opinion continued...to continue reading go here.
Comments