Juries

Lawyer making routine list discovered law-firm partner didn’t have law license; she gets prison time

Updated: If Greg Jackson hadn’t taken his routine paperwork seriously, a former county bar president might not be facing prison time for the unauthorized practice of law. Jackson had been assigned to compile a list of the two dozen members of the Huntingdon County Bar Association in Pennsylvania shortly before…

Jul 19, 2016 8:30 AM CDT

Supreme Court rules federal judges have inherent power to recall discharged jurors to correct error

A federal judge has the inherent power to recall a discharged jury for further deliberations in a civil case after identifying an error in the judgment, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-2 opinion. The majority opinion (PDF) by Justice Sonia Sotomayor cautioned that judges’ authority in such…

Jun 9, 2016 11:38 AM CDT

SCOTUS rules for black man who claimed prosecutors eliminated blacks from jury on basis of race

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 7-1 on a behalf of a black man on death row who claimed Georgia prosecutors violated the Constitution by using their peremptory challenges to keep blacks off the jury. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the majority opinion (PDF) finding prosecutors discriminated during…

May 23, 2016 9:36 AM CDT

Juror asks judge to reduce his six-month sentence for misconduct

A Florida juror who conducted a vodka-drinking experiment during a trial is seeking a reduction of his nearly six-month-long contempt sentence for the misconduct to 37 days of time already served in jail. The juror, Dennis DeMartin, said he lost his condo during his jail stint and is now living…

May 10, 2016 11:22 AM CDT

Jury awards $55M to woman who claimed Johnson & Johnson talcum powder caused her cancer

A Missouri jury verdict of $72 million earlier this year in a landmark tort case blaming talcum powder for an Alabama woman’s ovarian cancer death wasn’t just a fluke. A second St. Louis jury on Monday awarded $55 million on Monday against Johnson & Johnson in another talcum powder case,…

May 3, 2016 2:15 PM CDT

Supreme Court considers federal judge’s authority to recall jury shortly after discharge

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday considered whether a federal judge who realizes jurors made an error in their judgment can recall them for additional deliberations a short time after their discharge. The justices “seemed inclined—but not certain” to accept that federal judges have some limited authority to recall a…

Apr 27, 2016 10:40 AM CDT

New jury will be picked after juror questions judge about lack of diversity

Two black men accused of aggravated assault will get a new jury after one of the jurors chosen to hear the case questioned the judge about the lack of jury diversity. The juror spoke up after he and fellow jurors chosen to hear the case against Terance Bradley and Hurley…

Apr 26, 2016 2:19 PM CDT

California bill would allow judges to fine jurors for online misdeeds

Legislation in California would allow judges to fine jurors for researching cases online or for discussing cases on social media during trials. The bill authorizes fines of up to $1,500 for wayward jurors in counties participating in a five-year pilot program, the Associated Press reports. Under the bill, judges in…

Apr 26, 2016 5:45 AM CDT

Jurors should acquit when cops and prosecutors treat blacks unfairly, law prof says in op-ed

Jurors who think police officers or prosecutors have crossed the line in a case should refuse to convict, according to a former prosecutor who is now a Georgetown University law professor. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, law professor Paul Butler says there are two justice systems in the…

Apr 8, 2016 6:15 AM CDT

Is right to impartial jury violated by rule barring testimony on juror bias? SCOTUS to decide

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury may be violated by rules that bar evidence of statements made during jury deliberations. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether such “no-impeachment” rules are unconstitutional when they bar evidence of…

Apr 5, 2016 5:45 AM CDT

Judge sues judicial conduct commission claiming 1st Amendment right to criticize system on Facebook

A Kentucky judge has gone on the offensive in a battle with prosecutors over the racial composition of juries in the Louisville area, filing a federal lawsuit seeking to block a potential judicial ethics sanction on First Amendment grounds. In his Friday complaint (PDF), Jefferson Circuit Judge Olu Stevens seeks…

Apr 1, 2016 2:00 PM CDT

Google and Oracle lawyers won’t conduct research on potential jurors after judge’s ultimatum

Lawyers in a copyright battle between Google and Oracle have agreed they won’t research potential and empaneled jurors until after the trial. Lawyers revealed their decision on Thursday after the federal judge overseeing the trial said the legal teams should agree to a voluntary ban or should reveal their research…

Apr 1, 2016 7:14 AM CDT

Practical advice for trial lawyers from a playwright who just finished jury service

Recently I had the privilege of serving on a jury in a malpractice case. And I think I saw something you can use.

Apr 1, 2016 2:40 AM CDT

Google and Oracle lawyers who research jurors online must disclose it, judge rules

A federal judge has asked lawyers for Google and Oracle to voluntarily agree to a ban on Internet research on potential jurors or to disclose the extent of their online searches during jury selection. U.S. District Judge William Alsup offered that choice to lawyers in an order (PDF) on Friday,…

Mar 29, 2016 7:35 AM CDT

Felony charge dropped in case over jury nullification pamphlets

A Michigan judge on Wednesday dismissed a felony obstruction of justice charge against a former pastor who admittedly distributed jury nullification pamphlets on the sidewalk outside the Mecosta County courthouse in November. However, a misdemeanor jury tampering charge is still being pursued against Keith Wood, 39, according to Fox 17…

Mar 23, 2016 2:30 PM CDT