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Mistrial: Jurors On The Internet

By Brian Tannebaum, Esq.

Although we hear time after time that a jury verdict of "guilty" means the defendant "did it," we know otherwise. Too many people have been exonerated after a guilty verdict for us to continue to believe that if 6 or 12 people decide to check the "guilty" box it means anything other than that they "believe" he did it.We expect jurors to rely only on the evidence presented at trial, but we know that is not the case. Jurors bring with them the government cradled "common sense," and their own history. Jurors say they will be fair, that they will rely only on the evidence presented at trial, that they understand the lawyers are not on trial, and all that other good stuff.Then they go on the internet.A mistrial was granted in a complex federal case this week because of the internet...continue to full post

Full post as published by Criminal Defense on March 11, 2009 (boomark / email).