Jurer Jailed for Contempt of Court

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We'll jail all jurors who use Facebook warns top judge as woman is imprisoned for eight months

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Britain's top judge yesterday said jurors must be jailed if they misuse the internet during trials – to protect the integrity of our courts.
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, issued his warning as he imprisoned a woman for contacting a defendant on Facebook.
Jurors flouting orders not to search the web and social networking sites in connection with cases they are hearing are jeopardising the principle of jury trials, established in Henry VII’s reign, he said at London's High Court.

It ‘seriously undermines’ the 500-year-old principle underpinning jury trials that a verdict must be based ‘solely on evidence heard in court’, he added.

Lord Judge warned that jailing jurors who abuse the process was the only way to ensure the ‘continuing integrity’ of trials in the 21st century.

He made his comments as he sentenced juror Joanne Fraill to eight months after she caused a £6million drugs trial to collapse by chatting with a defendant on Facebook.

The 40-year-old revealed sensitive details about jury discussions in her online conversation with Jamie Sewart who had just been acquitted in the case.

There is plenty more if you care to do a search on Google; The point being; if you are on Jury Service you swear to make your decision by the evidence given in Court and nothing else;

The Jurers Oath forbids you from discussing the Case with anyone except your fellow Jurers ( which may only be done when all of you are together in your own Private Jury room )

You do not go trawling the internet ,let alone Facebook ,for information or any method of communicating with anyone about the Trial

Facebook and the internet have their uses but , if you are on Jury Service then please ....

stay away from both the Internet and Facebook when on Jury service ; or you to could find yourself in Prison

Having 'sympathy' for the Defendant is all well and good but

'if you cannot do the time then do not do the crime'

Do not get involved in sympathy as you are there ,appointed by the Crown , on your Jury Service, to judge the Case on the evidence presented to you in Court and nothing more