Upset by fatal child-abuse trial, juror creates post-verdict college fund for survivor sibling

Josh Henle was initially aggravated to be called for jury duty in a Clackamas County, Ore., case that interfered with his work schedule and Hawaiian vacation plans. Then, as he began to learn about the fatal child-abuse case for which he’d been selected, Henle realized the importance of his role…

Apr 12, 2013 4:00 PM CDT

71 percent of young people surveyed would favor an individual over an insurance company at trial

Apr 1, 2013 8:50 AM CDT

Ex-prosecutor guilty of law firm racketeering shouldn’t have tried his own case, juror says

A former state and federal prosecutor convicted this week of operating his law firm as a racketeering enterprise and participating in drug-dealing, prostitution and even a conspiracy to murder witnesses, might have done better to let a defense lawyer handle his trial, a juror says. As he himself questioned witnesses…

Mar 20, 2013 7:40 PM CDT

Attorney General Eric Holder reports for jury duty in cellphone robbery case

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder fulfilled his civic obligation Tuesday and reported for jury duty in a Washington, D.C., courthouse at which he formerly served as a judge. His three FBI bodyguards waited in a hallway as the nation’s top law enforcement officer waited to see whether he would be…

Mar 20, 2013 3:00 PM CDT

‘Rigged’ jury pool has no black men, lawyer complains; judge then issues gag order

A federal judge overseeing the tax evasion trial of a Chicago politician issued a gag order Wednesday prohibiting lawyers from talking to the media after his defense counsel complained that the 50-member jury pool contained no black men. U.S. District Judge James Zagel did not expressly mention Tuesday’s out-of-court comments…

Mar 13, 2013 8:50 PM CDT

Search ordered on juror’s computer drive to see if she violated Web research ban

Terri Wright says a Florida newspaper reporter misunderstood her when he said in an article that she conducted Internet research while serving as the forewoman of a jury hearing a 2011 drug case against a Grammy-winning reggae star. But a federal judge in Tampa plans to have a forensics expert…

Feb 19, 2013 8:16 PM CST

Let grand jurors decline indictment when law is too harsh, ABA House resolves

The wording in the Model Grand Jury Charge for federal courts should be changed to recognize the principle that a grand jury is not bound to indict in every case where a conviction can be obtained, according to a resolution approved on Monday by the ABA House of Delegates. Currently…

Feb 11, 2013 8:13 PM CST

Judge who had jury deliberate at 3 a.m. to save her vacation agrees to reprimand

A Nevada judge who admittedly had a jury deliberate for nearly 18 hours in December 2010 in order to ensure that she could go on vacation as planned has agreed to a public reprimand. District Judge Valorie Vega also admitted that on six occasions she recessed the trial in the…

Feb 7, 2013 12:13 PM CST

Can grand juries serve as check on prosecutorial overreach? Law profs offer ideas

The suicide of Internet “hactivist” Aaron Swartz is shining a light on proposals to rein in prosecutors through more powerful grand juries. Swartz took his life as he was awaiting a felony trial for downloading scholarly papers, leading to criticism that the U.S. Attorney’s stance in the case amounted to…

Feb 6, 2013 12:00 PM CST

Grand jury chair is a felon; 800 indictments now in question

Indictments from nearly 900 cases in the Nashville area are under review after officials discovered a man who served as grand jury chair in 2011 is a convicted felon. Eugene Grayer was appointed to lead the grand jury, even though the Davidson County district attorney’s office had been notified of…

Feb 4, 2013 1:30 PM CST

Voir dire must be public, even when embarrassing to jurors, says court

Ruling on a protest by the owner of a local newspaper, Maine’s top court on Thursday afternoon said a judge must hold jury selection sessions in open court, even if answering voir dire questions could be embarrassing to jurors. Prospective members of the jury in the case at issue are…

Jan 25, 2013 4:30 PM CST

Unusual sentence for would-be juror who Googled murder defendant

A Florida judge, obviously aggravated after he discovered last year that a prospective juror had disobeyed instructions and done Internet research on the defendant in a high-profile murder case, had initially warned the man to expect jail time. But, after further reflection, Hillsborough Circuit Judge William Fuente has tailored the…

Jan 14, 2013 4:53 PM CST

Juror oath oversight leads to tossed conviction

A defendant who was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion is entitled to a new trial because the jurors weren’t sworn in before the trial began, a Michigan appeals court has ruled. The Court of Appeals of Michigan has overturned the conviction of David Lee Allan, who was convicted in…

Jan 14, 2013 1:46 PM CST

Representing an Overweight Female Defendant? Male Jurors May Be Biased, Study Says

Overweight female defendants may be judged more harshly by male jurors, a new study suggests. The study by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity involved a mock case involving check fraud, report Reuters and a news release. Researchers asked 471 study participants to review the allegations, showing…

Jan 10, 2013 12:14 PM CST

Judge Rescinds Order to Seize Home Computers of Juror Accused of Web-Surfing During Trial

Updated: A federal judge in Florida has reconsidered an ex parte order issued on Friday, telling marshals to seize the home computers of a juror who was quoted in a newspaper article as saying that she had conducted Internet research on the defendant in a high-profile trial. However, U.S. District…

Jan 8, 2013 10:59 PM CST