It’s official.  The courts have started getting involved with America’s “instant update” obsession.  A February 10th article by David Kravets of Wired Magazine reports that, along with standard court procedures that inform jurors not to discuss cases outside the courtroom, jury instructions are being modified to warn jurors against using cell phones, conducting internet research, or updating social networks with information about cases during trial.  I would have thought that the ban against e-gossip would be a no-brainer, but recent mistrials (and near mistrials) have proven me wrong.  Oh well.  I guess we still have semaphore.

Additional Links:

Proposed Model Jury Instructions: The Use of Electronic Technology…

Why Courts Need to Ban Jurors’ Electronic Communications Devices, by Anita Ramasastry