Essay On Jury Sequestration

Part One: Is sequestration of the jury for the duration of the trial necessary considering the influence of social media?
I. Overview:
The rapid evolution of social media and accessibility of internet in the recent decades have posed a severe challenge to criminal trial proceedings. Social media makes infinite information accessible in mere seconds. Jurors, like other individuals have become accustomed to using social media to conduct research and communicate with family, friends and a large audience. Jurors can access or be exposed to countless information about a pending case through social media. Social media has not just allowed the traditional press and professional journalist, but millions of users to broadcast their thoughts. A trial verdict must be based solely on the testimony and admissible evidence presented in court. However, it has been argued that these published opinions by the public can have an influence on the …show more content…
Today, the purpose of jury sequestration is to isolate the jury once deliberation have commenced with the evidence presented in court and shield them from being influenced by outside sources, such as social media. By the time jury deliberation commence, the jury might already be exposed to enough outside sources to influence their judgment. Hence, the question under consideration in this essay is whether the jury should be sequestered for the duration of the trial. This essay argues that jury sequestration for the duration of the trial is not a viable solution to shelter the jury from the influence of social media. Sequestration for the duration of the trial would impose unnecessary burden on the jurors and monetary costs on the government. The jury must be trusted to have the ability to ignore outside information and reach verdict considering only the testimony and admissible evidence presented in