Have you been called to Jury Service at the 4th Judicial District Court? We hope this video helps to explain what you can expect.

JURORS’ USE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA

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Before Trial:

You, as jurors, must decide this case based solely on the evidence presented here within the four walls of this courtroom. This means that during the trial you must not conduct any independent research about this case, the matters in the case, and the individuals or corporations involved in the case. In other words, you should not consult dictionaries or reference materials, search the Internet, Web sites, blogs, or use any other electronic tools to obtain information about this case or to help you decide the case. Please do not try to find out information from any source outside the confines of this courtroom.

Since this case involves something that happened at a particular location, you may be tempted to visit the location yourself. Please do not do so. Even if you happen to live near the location, please avoid going to it or past it until the case is over. In addition, please do not attempt to view the scene by using computer programs such as Google Earth. Also, in making a visit without the benefit of explanation, you might get mistaken impressions, and it is expressly prohibited by this Court.

Until you retire to deliberate, you may not discuss this case with anyone, even your fellow jurors. After you retire to deliberate, you may begin discussing the case with your fellow jurors, but you cannot discuss the case with anyone else until you have returned a verdict and the case is at an end.

Do not try to do any independent research on any topic you might hear about in the testimony, whether by consulting others, reading books or magazines or conducting an internet search. In fairness to the parties to this lawsuit, you should keep an open mind throughout the trial, reaching your conclusion only on the evidence as it is presented to you in this courtroom and only after all the evidence is in and you have heard the attorneys’ summations and my instructions to you on the law, and then only after an exchange of views with all the members of the jury during your deliberations.

I hope that for all of you this case is interesting and noteworthy. I know that many of you use cell phones, Blackberries, the Internet and other tools of technology. You also must not talk to anyone about this case or use these tools to communicate electronically with anyone about the case. This includes your family and friends. You may not communicate with anyone about the case on your cell phone, through e-mail, Blackberry iPhone, iPad or similar tablet device, text messaging, or on Twitter, through any blog or Web site, through any Internet chat room, or by way of any other social networking Web sites, including Facebook, My Space, LinkedIn, and YouTube or Google.

At The Close of the Case:

During your deliberations, you must not communicate with or provide any information to anyone by any means about this case. You may not use any electronic device or media, such as a telephone, cell phone, smart phone, iPhone, iPad or similar tablet device, Blackberry or computer; the Internet, any Internet service, or any text or instant messaging service; or any Internet chat room, blog, or Web site such as Facebook, My Space, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google or Twitter, to communicate to anyone any information about this case or to conduct any research about this case until I accept your verdict.