On 2-4-25 a former federal juror in Guam was sentenced to 30 days in jail, plus a year of supervised release, fines and restitution, for contempt of court for violating the judge's instructions about discussing the criminal case with others. He discussed the case with 2 brothers, one of which he knew worked for the defense team and which he had not disclosed to the court. The brothers asked him to try to be jury foreman and render a not guilty verdict. A mistrial was declared.
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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