[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

Good. He was clearly in contempt of court. There is nothing here to discuss, surely.

Just to let potential jurors, some of whom seem to be rather naive, know that their role in court should not be taken lightly .....

Juror jailed for looking up rape defendant on Google

A juror who used Google to search for a defendant in a rape case in Luton was jailed for six months yesterday for contempt of court.

Academic Dr Theodora Dallas, 34, told fellow jurors that the man on trial for sexual assault had previously been accused of rape after finding a newspaper article about him on the internet. Her Google search broke strict laws designed to prevent prejudicing or influencing a jury.

Today she begins her stretch behind bars after three High Court judges sentenced her. Lord Judge said Dallas had "deliberately disobeyed" the trial judge's instructions not to search the internet, reported the BBC.

Lord Judge said: "The damage to the administration of justice is obvious. Misuse of the internet by a juror is always a most serious irregularity and an effective custodial sentence is virtually inevitable."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01...ror_sentenced/