Jurors misbehaving is a popular topic lately, and for good reason. Whether the misbehaving juror is deliberately trying to get released from duty, or is just a self-involved jerk, their actions are inconsiderate and disrespectful to everyone else involved in the judicial system, from the litigants to the clerks at the courthouse.
There's this guy who sent a friend request to the defendant in a civil case in order to get disqualified. How do we know that his goal was to get dismissed? He bragged about it on Facebook. That worked out really well for him. What a bonehead.
Then there's this lady, Juror #15, who posted on Facebook about the sex abuse trial of the local wrestling coach. I've got to think that this was a pretty well covered trial, with lots of local interest. She even name dropped the defendant's attorney. Another attorney's wife was friends with Juror #15, and that's how the defense found out about her posts. How could she have thought her posts would not get back to the defendant or the court? The judge had admonished the jury in this trial not to post on social media about the case, but Juror #15 did it anyway. She's either incredibly obtuse, or she did it on purpose to get dismissed. Either way, she is a jerk in my book.
Then there's this genius, the jury foreman for crying out loud! Dude, do you really think that your friends care that much where you are today? Did you miss the part of the judge's instructions about not talking or discussing the case with anyone? How did you think it was okay to post about "boring" cell phone evidence during the trial? The gall.
And last, but certainly not least, this wannabe actress who went to extreme ends to avoid jury duty. Then she bragged about it on the radio. What a gem.
If you have ever been in the courtroom when the judge admonishes the jury (usually every time they leave the courtroom), the instructions given are simple and easy to understand. I'm quite sure my 9 year old would totally understand the instructions. And given the repetition, there's no chance that a juror simply did not hear them all.
Each of these people put an entire trial in jeopardy. First and foremost, their selfish behavior jeopardized some defendants' constitutional rights. Moreover, it costs money to call a potential pool of jurors. In a week with several trials scheduled, the clerk in my county might call 200 people. Did these idiots think about all of those other people who were also called for jury duty and who missed a day of work, made other arrangements for their kids, etc.? And did they think about their fellow jurors, who have missed work, family events, and put their lives on hold to serve on the jury? That's not to mention the costs to the participants of getting ready for trial (half of which has to be redone if the trial doesn't go as scheduled). Or the experts flown in at huge expense. Did they think about any of this when they just couldn't resist posting a status update on Facebook?
Serving as a juror is one of the few civic duties a regular person gets to perform these days. As a people, we have clearly forgotten the importance of juror service in our country. There's a reason the court makes everyone stand when the jury enters and leaves the courtroom. The right to be judged by an impartial jury is one of the cornerstones of our judicial system (Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution). This particular type of juror misconduct is so lazy and self-involved, it is a huge insult to the rest of us and indicative of the "let someone else do the hard work" attitude so prevalent in our society today. For shame.
Show a little respect.
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