Defended by Attorney Twitter Pal, Jury Foreman Escapes Court Sanction for Prolific Trial Tweets

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A Florida filmmaker admitted that he should have known from watching Law & Order that live-tweeting about his jury service in Miami earlier this year wasn't a good idea.

But while finding that Billy Corben disobeyed a court order against discussing online the case he was hearing, a Miami-Dade circuit judge on Wednesday declined to hold him in contempt for his prolific tweeting or reverse the armed robbery conviction of Angelo Williams, the Miami Herald reports.

Corben, who served as foreman of the jury, posted about concerns such as the Sandra Bullock movies shown to prospective jurors as they waited for court action rather than substantive trial issues or facts.

A Twitter pal of Corben's, attorney David O. Markus, defended him in court today. “He never intended to violate the court’s order,” Markus told Judge Jose Fernandez. "He didn’t undermine the administration of justice.”

Related coverage:

ABAJournal.com: "Florida Jurors Banned From Using Social Media to Discuss Criminal Cases"