If you show up for jury duty, you'd better leave your cell phone, pager, pda, or other Net enabled electronic device at home.
After the courtroom antics of jurors have led to misstrails and criminal cases being overturned, judges and court officials are moving to create greater restrictions on electronic devices and tougher penalities for those who violate those restrictions.
See the complete article here.
My favorite "bad" courtroom behavior, the six jurors that became Friends on Facebook during the trial. Duh!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is exactly what needs to happen. Social networks have in my opinion gotten out of control. People have become addicts of such networks. The moment that this abuse impedes on others civil rights, you have to draw the line. I applaud the justice system for taking a stand. I hope society takes notice. Such things are created for leisure activity and should stay that way.
ReplyDeleteThis is just plain stupid. Obviously these people have a complete lack of respect for the court systems and don't know when it's appropriate to whip out their phones. The fact that laws are necessary to keep people in line is pretty sad.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story. I have never had the opportunity to serve as a juror, so I have never ben faced with these issues. In complete honest I have never thought about the advancement of technologies affect on court jurors. However, I have thought, in the past, about how jury members are restrained from social media during trial. It is an iteresting point because in many situations in life, including imiportant decisions like finances, careers and marriage, people reach out for advice. Taking different aspects in to acount before making a decision is how one makes the nest, most well thought out decision. So being help up in a court room, discussing a possible death penalty decsion, one might need to let off some steam and tweet! However, discussing the case in any way, shape or form would be completely out of line. But it is hard to have self control when a lot is on your shoulders, like the decision of a big case. It would be very hard to monitor yourself to not mention it or take a quick peek on Yahoo news!
ReplyDelete