The BBC reports that a juror in an Edinburgh rape trial "Googled" a floor plan similar to the crime scene and was found in contempt of court. She also research the definition of the "not proven" verdict, one of three possible verdicts in criminal trials in Scotland. The juror violated the court's instructions at the beginning of the trial that the jury was only to consider evidence heard in the courtroom. The juror, a college lecturer, was fined 400 pounds.
A blog about the very small percentage of jurors who fail to follow the judge's instructions, including doing independent Internet research, using social media (such as Facebook) to contact parties and lawyers, and blogging about the trial. Juror misconduct frequently results in mistrials and a waste of resources. Links will be provided to sample jury summonses, jury instructions, and other resources to improve juror education and minimize juror misconduct, thereby promoting fairness of trials.

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