British juror removed after asking Facebook friends for case opinions

by Rich Bowden - Nov 26 2008, 19:49

A loose-lipped woman serving in a British jury in the north of England has been ejected after it was discovered she had posted details of the sensitive trial to an online social networking service.

The woman in question, who has not been named, reportedly asked her friends on Facebook if they considered the defendant in the case to be guilty of child abduction and molestation.

To make the breach of courtroom confidentiality even worse, the woman did not have her Facebook privacy settings enabled, which meant her careless musings on the trial were subsequently posted for all to see.

In canvassing for opinions on the case, the juror wrote: "I don't know which way to go, so I'm holding a poll."

The juror's actions resulted in her being sacked after Burnley Crown Court in Lancashire received an anonymous tip off.

A Courts Service spokesman confirmed the ejection saying, "A juror was dismissed from a case on November 18 for discussing a case outside the court."

 

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