We all know the story of a lone jury member disregarding his/her instructions given by the presiding judge in a case and reading the newspaper or catching the local news to find out information about the case on which he/she is sitting. Â However, apparently a new and more disturbing trend has arisen, jury members who perform research on the Internet or look up definitions of words and concepts on Google.
Though I am sure Google is delighted to assist in this information gathering, the question remains about the effect such actions have on the legal system. Â Twenty years ago, it was easy to sequester jurors, keeping them from the effects of the media through television and newspapers. Â In todays information age, things are different. Â
Recently, the Baltimore Sun reported an incident where a grand juror told a reporter that other members of the grand jury charged with investigating misconduct by Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon have grown tired of the near-daily coverage of the probe in the media.  Of course, how would they be tired of such media when they are not supposed to be watching the media coverage of the probe?
Alternatively, take the story in the Palm Beach Post which reported that a man convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of his neighbor might get a new trial because of allegations of jury misconduct due to, among other issues, one juror who used his iPhone to assist the jury in defining the word “prudence” during deliberations.
Judge John C. Themelis in Baltimore tells of a fellow judge who had to declare a mistrial in a criminal case due to a juror who decided to use Google to research the defendant’s criminal record during deliberations. Â Such actions seriously undermine the judicial system and are becoming more and more difficult to prevent due to juror’s beliefs that any and all information gathered assists them in making the ‘right’ decision.
As with everything else, technology is a double-edged sword.
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Source: Baltimore Sun