Judge is reprimanded for telling jurors she thought their verdict was wrong
An Ohio judge has been reprimanded for telling jurors she believed they got a verdict wrong.
Judge Amy Salerno of Franklin County spoke with the jurors after they returned a not guilty verdict in a 2013 misdemeanor assault case, the Associated Press reports.
According to the Ohio Supreme Court opinion (PDF), Salerno stipulated that she told jurors of her disagreement with the verdict and disclosed that the defendant was facing charges in a another criminal case, information that was not in evidence at the trial. The Columbus Dispatch and ABC6OnYourSide also have coverage.
Salerno released this statement: “Everyone has said something that they later regretted. Upon reflection, I publicly acknowledged my mistake and have apologized for what was said. It was intemperate. I punished myself by requesting a public reprimand from the Supreme Court. I agreed to and accepted a public reprimand from the Supreme Court of Ohio. I have learned from this experience and it will never happen again.”
