Juries

Juror Who Went on Vacation During Deliberations Is Happy Her Next Stop Isn’t Jail

A Wisconsin juror who left for a Cancun vacation after deliberations had begun was spared a jail sentence in a contempt hearing on Tuesday. Ivana Samardzic, 20, will have to pay a $300 fine, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel blog Proof & Hearsay. “I don’t know if this was…

Aug 28, 2012 6:09 PM CDT

New Model Jury Instructions Tell Jurors to Turn in Others Who Flout Social Media Ban

Updated: New model jury instructions (PDF) developed by a federal Judicial Conference committee expand a previous ban on social media use and explain in simple terms that jurors are not supposed to use electronic tools or talk about the case, period, except during deliberations. “In other words, you cannot talk…

Aug 23, 2012 7:50 PM CDT

Reggie the Poodle Assists Vulnerable Witnesses in Sacramento Criminal Court

Some defense lawyers are giving the Sacramento County district attorney’s office a “ruff” time regarding a member of their victim witness unit, who happens to be a standard poodle named Reggie. Pets in court could influence the jury, say some, but there’s a growing trend in state courts allowing “comfort…

Aug 16, 2012 8:31 PM CDT

Defendant’s Attack on Own Counsel and Attempted Escape from Court Not Grounds for Mistrial

A criminal defendant’s attack on his own counsel and court officers in front of the jury deciding the case, followed by an unsuccessful attempt to escape from the courtroom, is not grounds for a mistrial, a New Jersey appeals court has for the first time held. Deciding a novel issue,…

Aug 10, 2012 6:23 PM CDT

‘Lawyers Matter,’ ABA President Laurel Bellows Tells House of Delegates

Laurel G. Bellows emphasized a theme of “lawyers matter” when she took over as ABA president during the ABA House of Delegates on Monday. Bellows praised lawyers for promoting fairness and strengthening the rule of law. “We are the first responders when liberty and justice are imperiled,” she said. “Without…

Aug 6, 2012 11:09 PM CDT

On Stage: How to Use Theater Techniques to Reach Juries

Podcast Transcript: This ABA Journal podcast is brought to you by WestlawNext, the legal research platform chosen by over 40,000 legal organizations for their tradition of editorial excellence combined with the most advanced technology. Learn more at WestlawNext.com. Stephanie Francis Ward: We’ve heard the expression, you don’t have to get…

Aug 6, 2012 1:30 PM CDT

Judge Postpones Attempted Murder Trial So Juror Can Attend ‘Law & Order’ Tryout

Real-life courtroom drama and a popular crime-solving TV show intersected on Friday as a New York judge postponed opening statements in an attempted murder trial for five hours so a juror struggling to find work could attend an audition for Law & Order. “Good luck. We’ll be looking for you…

Aug 6, 2012 11:48 AM CDT

Jury Pool Gossip Likely Will Cause a Year’s Delay in Murder Trial; Fla. Judge Dismisses All Members

Members of a jury pool who ignored a court order and gossiped amongst themselves about the high-profile defendant in a first-degree murder case created a situation in which a Florida judge said he felt he had no choice but to dismiss everyone, given the risk of an appeal that could…

Aug 2, 2012 11:15 AM CDT

Lady of the Last Chance: Lawyer Makes Her Mark Getting Convicts off Death Row

In what seems her natural state, Christina Swarns is as sweetly plainspoken and easygoing as a kindergarten teacher, which, decidedly, she is not. Seated across a conference table in a corner-view meeting room on the 16th floor of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund offices in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood,…

Aug 1, 2012 9:39 AM CDT

Jury Pool for Ex-Cop Drew Peterson’s Murder Trial Is Three Years Old

When former Bolingbrook, Ill., police officer Drew Peterson goes on trial next week for the murder of his third wife, the jurors will come from a pool first selected in August 2009. A Will County judge turned down a defense request more than a month ago to toss the pool…

Jul 20, 2012 1:04 PM CDT

New Jury Instructions in New Jersey Will Warn of Problems in Eyewitness IDs

New jury instructions in New Jersey will warn that human memory is not foolproof and eyewitness testimony must be carefully scrutinized. Set to take effect on Sept. 4, the new instructions follow a landmark ruling last year by the New Jersey Supreme Court that makes it easier for defendants to…

Jul 20, 2012 12:17 PM CDT

Mistrial Declared in First-Degree Murder Case Over Juror’s Facebook Comments a Year Ago

Corrected: An unusual mistrial declared in a high-profile murder case this week, over comments made by a juror on a Facebook page roughly a year ago, offer a cautionary example about how far-reaching potential pitfalls concerning social media use can be. The comments were found on Tuesday by family members…

Jul 19, 2012 7:44 PM CDT

Asked to Award $25M in Kids’ Case Against Dad Over Death of Mom, Jury Approves a $60M Verdict

A lawyer working pro bono for two minor children who sued their father for wrongful death damages over his strangulation murder of their mother asked a California jury to award $10 million in compensatory damages to Rory Reiser, 12, and Niorline Reiser, 11. But after several hours of deliberation over…

Jul 17, 2012 7:37 PM CDT

Around the Blawgosphere: Bar Associations Too Cautious on Ethics of Cloud Computing, Blogger Writes

Clouded Judgment At My Shingle, Washington, D.C., solo Carolyn Elefant takes various state bar associations to task for their uniformly similar recommendations that lawyers get their clients’ express consent when they store clients’ data in cloud platforms. “Not only does this kind of requirement throw up a red flag that…

Jul 13, 2012 1:30 PM CDT

Federal Judge Levies $1K Max Fine on Man Who Left Voicemail, Skipped Jury Duty Mid-Trial for Meeting

A federal judge in Chicago imposed the maximum $1,000 fine Tuesday on an Illinois man who left a voicemail message for another judge in the middle of a Medicare fraud trial saying that he had to skip jury duty for a business meeting in another state. However, U.S. District Judge…

Jul 10, 2012 10:26 PM CDT