Ohio

Jurors Are Researching Cases on the Internet During Trial

By Cleveland Law Library

It is probably just the tip of the iceberg, but the NYTimes just reported that 9 jurors in a recent drug trial were using the Internet to research the case during the trial. Although this federal Judge declared a mistrial after 8 weeks of intense testimony, the article indicates that another judge in the case of former PA. senator Vincent Fumo refused to declare a mistrial even though jurors were posting updates on the case on Facebook and Twitter. The article highlights the historical support for requiring jurors to base their decisions solely on the evidence presented and admitted in court, while nonetheless noting the ways in which jurors can easily circumvent these rules with laptops, ipods, and other technological devices.

Full post as published by Cleveland Law Library Weblog on March 18, 2009 (boomark / email).