In U.S. v. Blagojevich (anonymous jury issue), a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has instructed the judge handling the Blagojevich trial to hold a hearing to reconsider whether the jurors deciding the case should remain anonymous.
According to the panel, ...we think it best to ensure that a hearing is held so that the justification for and alternatives to the delayed release can be addressed. Once we have a better basis for understanding not only the risks of releasing the names before the trial's end, but also other options ( and the risk that alternatives such as cautionary instructions will fail), we then can ask whether the district judge abused his discretion in thinking that the presumption in favor of releasing jurors' names as soon as they are seated has been overcome.
For those interested in this issue, consider reading U.S. v. Wecht where the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals faced a similar situation and ultimately overruled the trial court's decision to impanel an anonymous jury.
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