How Do You Take to ‘Social’ out of Social Media in Jury Trials?

[WSJ Law Blog]

Jurors aren’t allowed to do their own research and they shouldn’t communicate about the case they are hearing. Those seemingly simple instructions have gotten far more complicated in recent years, with the a surge in the use of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.



On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported on how the use of social media is disrupting the jury trial. While juror misbehavior is nothing new, social media have made it extremely easy—and tempting—to break the rules, and lawyers are increasingly using that as a reason for appeals, legal experts say.

Some recent cases serve as examples. In one case, the Arkansas Supreme Court tossed a murder conviction and ordered a new trial after a juror tweeted about a case.

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