Should We Ask Jurors If They Blog?

Well, that’s the gist of an article up over at law.com, which discusses the ramifications of jurors blogging after a days events in court.  The article specifically mentions a case where a juror began blogging about his own opinions about an impending trial during and after jury selection; this led to the defendant’s attorney arguing that the blog betrayed opinions about the juror that was not readily apparent during trial selection.  The case was eventually upheld in the New Hampshire Supreme Court, but its led to a dialogue about blogging amongst jurors.


While it makes sense that jurors *not* blog about the details of a trial during the trial, Clay S. Conrad a partner at Conrad, Marteeny & Looney in Houston, and blogger at JuryGeeks, made an interesting point when interviewed:

“It raises an interesting question — the juror isn’t supposed to discuss the case with anyone else, but are they discussing the case if they are posting information about it but not hearing anything back? … The other thing that the blog could produce is evidence that the juror has prejudged the case. It could also provide evidence that in some cases perhaps the jurors lied or fudged the truth during voir dire. All of those could cause motions for new trial.”

Should we be asking Jurors if they blog, then?  Not being a lawyer, it’d be hard for me to comment on that.  But, I expect for the sake of explicitness, they might in the future.

See Also
Career-Focused Expansion

Bob Kelley, a plaintiffs attorney who is a partner in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.’s Kelley/Uustal and runs a blog on the state’s jury selection process, said lawyers should know by now to check whether potential jurors have blogs.

“Any lawyer who does not inquire during jury selection about a juror’s Internet presence — whether it be a Web site, a blog, an account on MySpace or an account on Match.com — hasn’t done their job,” said Kelley, who regularly asks potential jurors such questions.

Feeling stuck in self-doubt?

Stop trying to fix yourself and start embracing who you are. Join the free 7-day self-discovery challenge and learn how to transform negative emotions into personal growth.

Join Free Now

Picture of Tony Hung

Tony Hung

Tony Hung is the editor of the BlogHerald. He is also a physician finishing his last year of residency in General Internal Medicine, and blogs at Deep Jive Interests , where he rants, occasionally, on new media topics.

RECENT ARTICLES

TRENDING AROUND THE WEB

If a man uses these 7 phrases in a conversation he isn’t a very mature or self aware person

If a man uses these 7 phrases in a conversation he isn’t a very mature or self aware person

Global English Editing

10 things narcissists will do to keep you desperate for their approval, according to psychology

10 things narcissists will do to keep you desperate for their approval, according to psychology

Global English Editing

12 zodiac signs ranked from most to least honest

12 zodiac signs ranked from most to least honest

Parent From Heart

I was drifting through life without a plan—until I incorporated these daily habits

I was drifting through life without a plan—until I incorporated these daily habits

Hack Spirit

7 subtle behaviors of privileged people who are out of touch with the real world

7 subtle behaviors of privileged people who are out of touch with the real world

Global English Editing

Some zodiac signs are more likely to get rich. My friend is one of them, and I think I know why.

Some zodiac signs are more likely to get rich. My friend is one of them, and I think I know why.

My Inner Creative