Pennsylvania Code
Title 234 - RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
Chapter 6 - TRIAL PROCEDURES IN COURT CASES
Part C - Jury Procedures
Rule 626 - Preliminary Instructions to Prospective and Selected Jurors
Universal Citation: 234 PA Code ยง 626
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 12, March 23, 2024
(A) For purposes of this rule,
(1) The term "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;
(2) The term "selected jurors" means those
members of the panel who have been selected to serve as trial jurors or
alternate jurors; and
(3) The term
"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 while serving as prospective jurors and selected jurors.
(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 instructed by the court;
(2) read or listen to any news reports about
any such case;
(3) use a computer,
cellular phone, 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 never may be used to obtain or disclose
information prohibited in paragraph (C)(4);
(4) use a computer, cellular phone, or other
electronic device with communication capabilities, or any other method, to
obtain or disclose any 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 they are required to inform the court immediately of any violation of this rule.
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