Jurors Surfing the Web

After eight weeks of trial, a mistrial was declared when the judge discovered that 9 of the jurors had been directly violating instructions by doing research on the internet about the trial. The New York Times reported that increasingly jurors are examining locations using Google Maps, checking up on the attorneys on Facebook, or finding details on a case with Wikipedia. In the Florida case, one juror was researching evidence that the judge had excluded. Given our reliance in tort cases on the integrity of jury system, this development is alarming.