Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) For purposes of
this rule, "prospective jurors" means those persons who have been chosen to be
part of the panel from which the trial jurors and alternate jurors will be
selected. "Selected jurors" means those members of the panel who have been
selected to serve as trial jurors or alternate jurors. "Jury service" means
service as (1) members of the jury array, (2) prospective jurors, and (3)
selected jurors.
(b) Persons
reporting for jury service, upon their arrival for this service, shall be
instructed in their duties.
(c) At
a minimum, the persons reporting for jury service shall be instructed that
until their service as prospective or selected jurors is concluded, they shall
not:
(1) discuss any case in which they have
been chosen as prospective jurors or selected jurors with others, including
other jurors, except as otherwise authorized by the court;
(2) read or listen to any news reports about
any such case;
(3) use a computer,
cellular telephone, or other electronic device with communication capabilities
while in attendance at trial or during deliberation. These devices may be used
during breaks or recesses but may not be used to obtain or disclose information
prohibited in subdivision (c)(4);
(4) use a computer, cellular telephone, or
other electronic device with communication capabilities, or any other method,
to obtain or disclose information about any case in which they have been chosen
as prospective or selected jurors. Information about the case includes, but is
not limited to, the following:
(i) information
about a party, witness, attorney, judge, or court officer;
(ii) news reports of the case;
(iii) information collected through juror
research using such devices about the facts of the case;
(iv) information collected through juror
research using such devices on any topics raised or testimony offered by any
witness;
(v) information collected
through juror research using such devices on any other topic the juror might
think would be helpful in deciding the case.
(d) These instructions shall be repeated:
(1) to the prospective jurors at the
beginning of voir dire;
(2) to the
selected jurors at the commencement of the trial;
(3) to the selected jurors prior to
deliberations; and
(4) to the
selected jurors during trial as the trial judge deems appropriate.
(e) Jurors shall be instructed
that it is their obligation immediately to inform the court of any violation of
this rule.
