Jury sequestration is the isolation of a

jury A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make Question of fact, findings of fact, and render an impartiality, impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a sentence (law), penalty or Judgmen ...

to avoid accidental or deliberate tainting of the jury by exposing them to outside influence or information that is not admissible in

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

. In such cases, jurors are usually housed at a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

, where they are not allowed to read

newspapers A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

, watch

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, or access the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

, and may have only limited contact with others, even each other. Sequestration is rare, and becoming less common, due to the expense and concerns about the impact on jury members. In most trials that last more than a single day, jurors are instead sent home for the night with instructions to isolate themselves from inappropriate influence until they return and the trial resumes. Sequestration is most commonly used in high-profile trials in which media coverage and public conversations about the case may be so ubiquitous that it is difficult for jurors to avoid. A

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

also may order that a jury be sequestered to prevent others from tampering with them through undue persuasion, threats, or bribes.

Notable Cases

The Harry Thaw trial for the murder of Stanford White, known as " The Trial of the Century," was the first to use a sequestered jury due to the excessive media attention and high-profile nature of the case. The trials of Sam Sheppard in 1966, Charles Manson in 1970, O.J. Simpson in 1995, George Zimmerman in 2013, and Bill Cosby in 2017 were modern cases in which it was done, with the jury spending 265 days in sequestration in the Simpson case. In 2021, the jury in the Derek Chauvin murder trial was partially sequestered during the trial itself, and fully sequestered during deliberations. While the trial proceedings were ongoing, jurors were permitted to go home overnight, but parked in a secure location and were escorted between it and a private entrance to the courthouse. While the jurors were not monitored at home, the jurors were monitored at all times while in the courthouse, including during breaks and meals. The jury was fully sequestered once deliberations began.

References

{{Reflist Sequestration Judicial legal terminology Common law legal terminology

Notable Cases

See also

References