Judges: Be Aware of a Possible Weak Link in Your Social Media Control Over Jurors

As a result of budget restraints some courts have little or no bailiff support.  Others may have bailiffs who have been poorly-trained or are inexperienced.  We judges need to be vigilant about the support staff interacting with jurors throughout the trial, particularly during deliberations.  There are many cases where bailiffs have given dictionaries or other resources to jurors during trial deliberations, resulting in mistrial.  Bailiffs must be trained to also be vigilant about jurors accessing electronic devices during trial.