Juries

Jury Duty and Privacy Concerns

This article discusses the privacy concerns that can arise for jurors when they sit on high-profile trials like Casey Anthony.

LA Times: Casey Anthony case casts harsh light on jurors' lack of privacy

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Lifetime Off Limits for Casey Anthony Jurors?

If the prosecutors handling the Casey Anthony murder trial have their way Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network will be removed from the approved list of channels that jurors can watch during the trial and deliberations.  Yesterday, the judge handling the case issued an approved list of TV channels that the sequestered jury would be able to watch.  The state, however, objected to Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network.  This objection may be withdrawn if the prosecution can see the programming schedule for the channels for the months of May, June and July.

In addition to regulating what channels jurors can watch, the trial judge might want to provide jurors with the most recent version of the Ohio Jury Instructions regarding the influence of law related television programs.

3. WARNING ON OUTSIDE INFLUENCE. The effort to exclude misleading outside influences information also puts a limit on getting legal information from television entertainment. This would apply to popular TV shows such as Law and Order, Boston Legal, Judge Judy, older shows like L.A. Law, Perry Mason, or Matlock, and any other fictional show dealing with the legal system. In addition, this would apply to shows such as CSI and NCIS, which present the use of scientific procedures to resolve criminal investigations. These and other similar shows may leave you with an improper preconceived idea about the legal system. As far as this case is concerned, you are not prohibited from watching such shows. However, there are many reasons why you cannot rely on TV legal programs, including the fact that these shows: (1) are not subject to the rules of evidence and legal safeguards that apply in this courtroom, and (2) are works of fiction that present unrealistic situations for dramatic effect. While entertaining, TV legal dramas condense, distort, or even ignore many procedures that take place in real cases and real courtrooms. No matter how convincing they try to be, these shows simply cannot depict the reality of an actual trial or investigation. You must put aside anything you think you know about the legal system that you saw on TV.

New Zealand to Offer Jurors More Privacy

According to media reports, New Zealand will start removing addresses of potential jurors from jury panel lists.  The change was prompted when a felon made contact with a juror who sat on his trial.

National Business Review: Juror privacy to be tightened

Scoop.co.nz: Government tightens juror privacy, safety

Radio New Zealand: New bill aims to improve jurors' privacy

Louisiana Moves to Prevent the Publishing of Juror Names in the Newspaper

The Louisiana state legislature is taking the first steps to prevent the practice of publishing the names of jurors and potential jurors in the newspaper in state cases.  Last week, the Louisiana House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice voted in favor of legislation which would prohibit the publication of juror names.  Those speaking on behalf of the legislation argued that the current practice served no useful purpose and compromised juror safety.  Those opposing the new legislation argued (unsuccessfully) that publishing the names preserves the integrity of the criminal justice process.

To read more about the proposed changes go here.

Contacting Jurors Post-Trial

Here are two interesting articles about contacting jurors post-trial.  Interestingly, it is not always the defense that wants to contact jurors.

District Attorney Apologizes to Juror After Contact by Deputy

A call to a former juror by an Alamance County sheriff’s detective trying to get more information about how a jury voted in a sex-offense trial led to a letter of apology by the district attorney, even though the sheriff’s department does not think the detective did anything wrong...to continue reading go here.

Juror Info Denied in Ayres Case

Jurors in the first molestation trial of Dr. William Hamilton Ayres will not have their identities given to the defense but those who do not object to being contacted can return a questionnaire if they like...to continue reading go here.

Inspecting Juror Records

The Blog of Legal Times (BLT) has an interesting post about a  case currently before the DC Court of Appeals, Larry A. Gause v. United States.  This case examines whether criminal defendants have the right to inspect jury pool records.  According to BLT,

The appeal before the court arose after two men challenged their armed robbery convictions on the grounds that the D.C. Superior Court system for selecting jurors violates due process rights and violates the D.C. Jury System Act. The defendants, Larry Gause and Karlepa Wilkey, questioned the fairness of the jury pool, but were denied access to juror records. Lawyers for Gause and Wilkey have argued that the D.C. Superior Court system for picking juries systematically excludes African-American residents of the District.

 

 

FL Defense Attorney Wants Background Checks on Potential Jurors

 

The New-Press: Attorney for Lehigh Acres man wants background checks on juror

"...Attorneys met in court early last month because Mendez’s attorney Gary Bass wanted Lee Circuit Judge Mark Steinbeck to sign an order allowing him to get the names, addresses and driver’s license numbers of all prospective jurors for Aug. 14, the day Mendez was supposed to go to trial..."