Judge gives juror 5 days, fines her $500 for doing legal research during trial
A Georgia juror was sentenced to five days in jail for contempt of court and fined $500 on Wednesday because she admittedly did legal research in a criminal case.
Judge James Blanchard Jr. found out about the problem when the jury in the Richmond County Superior Court robbery case sent the court a message saying that it was deadlocked because of Takia Ivey’s research on Tuesday night, reports the Augusta Chronicle.
He declared a mistrial and sentenced Ivey, 27. She had admitted she performed legal research, the judge said, and shared what she believed she had discovered with other jurors, in violation of standard court instructions to jurors.
WDRW also has a story.
It’s not clear from news coverage whether Ivey was immediately jailed and whether she was represented by legal counsel in a contempt hearing.
