Jurors and New Media: Filling Knowledge Gaps for Judges and Lawyers
As a result of COVID-19, Americans rely even more heavily on the Internet and social media to complete everyday tasks than they did before the pandemic. Indeed, courts in several states are piloting remote jury selection and even fully remote trials to resume jury trials safely, raising concerns about the risk of juror misconduct involving new media. In the midst of the pandemic, NCSC undertook a study of jurors and new media, including a survey of judges and lawyers about their opinions and experience with incidents of alleged juror misconduct, and a review of more than 20 years of case law in which the issue was addressed.
Key findings are described in the Research Highlights.
A detailed technical report describing project data, methods, and findings is also available.
Juror and Jury Use of New Media: A Baseline Exploration (2012)
Jury Impartiality in the Modern Era, Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (2014)
Jury News
The Jury System in the Information Age
Google Mistrials, Twittering Jurors, Juror Blogs, and Other Technological Hazards (2009)