Juries

Story on Motion to Compel Appropriate Shoes Caused Mistrial

A newspaper column about a motion to compel defense counsel to wear appropriate shoes at trial resulted in a mistrial after one juror read the article to others. Judge Donald Hafele of Palm Beach County declared the mistrial in an auto negligence case, but allowed jurors to render an advisory…

Jul 14, 2009 2:13 PM CDT

New Mich. Jury Rule: No Texts, Tweets or Google Searches

Stepping up to the plate to deal with an electronic communications issue that has plagued courts throughout the country recently, the Michigan Supreme Court has issued a new rule requiring trial judges to warn jurors they cannot surf the Internet while they are in court or during deliberations. The ban…

Jul 2, 2009 6:53 PM CDT

Atty’s DWI Arrest Causes Mistrial; I Was Sober But Tired from Trial Prep, He Says

Exhausted from preparing for a murder trial, a Texas lawyer says, he had an accident en route to court on Tuesday and was charged with driving while intoxicated even though he was sober. A mistrial resulted, and in a court hearing yesterday attorney Bryan Simmons was ordered to reimburse Bowie…

Jun 20, 2009 12:30 AM CDT

Federal Juror Charged With Bribery, Allegedly Solicited Defense Lawyer

A federal juror has been charged with bribery and contempt of court after allegedly seeking money from a defense lawyer in a tax evasion case against a St. Louis-area automobile dealer. Dorothy Hendricks is accused of calling a unidentified defense lawyer in the U.S. Virgin Islands case over a $300…

Jun 19, 2009 9:45 PM CDT

Decision By Vegas Newspaper to ID Commenters Prompts ACLU Intervention

After first making a sweeping request asking for the identities of all commenters on an online Las Vegas Review-Journal story, prosecutors have narrowed their request. The U.S. attorney’s office now is only seeking the identities of individuals responsible for two comments that the government considers threatening to jurors, the Review-Journal…

Jun 18, 2009 6:31 PM CDT

A Supreme Case of Contempt

A tragic legal saga paved the way for civil rights protections and federal habeas actions

Jun 2, 2009 4:50 AM CDT

Bypassing Arguments, High Court Tosses $5M Verdict in Fear-of-Cancer Case

In a per curiam opinion issued without oral arguments or full briefing, the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a $5 million verdict because the trial court refused to instruct the jury on the standards for awarding damages for fear of cancer. The plaintiff, former CSX Corp. railroad worker Thurston Hensley,…

Jun 1, 2009 4:04 PM CDT

Media Atwitter over Al Roker’s Twitter Photos from Jury Duty Wait

Today show weatherman Al Roker got caught in the middle of a media storm when he took pictures of potential jurors on his iPhone yesterday and posted them to Twitter while waiting to be called for jury duty. The postings spurred a lesson in courthouse decorum and an apology from…

May 29, 2009 2:08 PM CDT

‘Extremely Bored’ Juror Walks Out, May Find Jail Time Mind-Numbing, Too

An “extremely bored” Oregon juror “just couldn’t take it” anymore and went AWOL at lunchtime after half a day in Washington County Circuit Court, he told the police officers who tracked him down on May 7. But that excuse didn’t go over well with Judge Gayle Nachtigal, who issued an…

May 20, 2009 7:56 PM CDT

Called to Do His Civic Duty in Chicago, Mr. T Supports the ‘J-Team’

It may not have been that much fun for Mr. T. But jury duty was a blast Monday at Cook County Criminal Court for fans of the 1980s television actor who were also among those called to do their civic duty, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. The first to recognize Mr.…

Apr 29, 2009 11:41 PM CDT

Judge’s Jury Form Mistake Results in Overturned Conviction

A Michigan appeals court has overturned an involuntary manslaughter conviction because a judge forgot to list “not guilty” as an option on a jury verdict form. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Michael Jess Wade, a security guard convicted of shooting and killing a suspected thief, deserves a new trial…

Apr 24, 2009 1:59 PM CDT

Rogue Juror’s Note Nixes $3M Pact, Ford Claims; Top Texas Court OKs Discovery

After a six-week trial in a products liability case over a Ford Explorer rollover accident, the forewoman of a jury in Brownsville, Texas, sent a note to the judge on the second day of deliberations. It read: “What is the maximum amount that can be awarded?” At that point, lawyers…

Apr 22, 2009 5:22 PM CDT

Rare Jury Verdict Delay ‘Sheer Agony’ for Bob Bennett & Client Attorney

After days of deliberation, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida returned a verdict on Thursday in a tax evasion case against Michigan attorney Alan Miller. But it wasn’t announced until the jury also reached a verdict on charges against Miller’s tax client, Indy 500 and Dancing with…

Apr 21, 2009 7:36 PM CDT

Supreme Court Turns Down Case of Bible-Consulting Jurors

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a death-row inmate’s claim that his constitutional rights were violated when jurors consulted a Bible during deliberations. The case, Oliver v. Quarterman, is the second turndown by the court this term that involved jurors consulting the Bible, SCOTUSblog reports. In both cases,…

Apr 20, 2009 3:56 PM CDT

Bad Hair, Harmonious Jury Helped Tip Scales of Justice Against Phil Spector

Now that the dust is settling on Phil Spector’s second-degree murder conviction this week, experts are pondering why a celebrity defendant whose initial trial ended in a deadlocked jury in 2007 didn’t beat the rap this time around. No less an authority than the London Times may have part of…

Apr 16, 2009 1:02 AM CDT