Facebook Post Gets Mich. Juror in Hot Water

(AP)  A judge removed a juror from a trial in suburban Detroit after the young woman wrote on Facebook that the defendant was guilty. The problem? The trial wasn't over.

Hadley Jons, of Warren just north of Detroit, could be found in contempt when she returns to the Macomb County circuit court Thursday.

Jons, 20, was a juror in a case of resisting arrest. On Aug. 11, a day off from the trial and before the prosecution finished its case, she wrote on Facebook that it was "gonna be fun to tell the defendant they're guilty."

The post was discovered by defense lawyer Saleema Sheikh's son.

Circuit Judge Diane Druzinski confronted Jons the next day and replaced her with an alternate.

"You don't know how disturbing this is," Druzinski said, according to The Macomb Daily.

A message seeking comment was left for Jons on Monday.

"I would like to see her get some jail time, nothing major, a few hours or overnight," Sheikh said. "This is the jury system. People need to know how important it is."

Sheikh's son, Jaxon Goodman, discovered the comment while checking jurors' names on the Internet. He works in his mother's law office.

"I'm really proud of him," Sheikh said.

Without Jons, the jury convicted Sheikh's client of a felony but couldn't agree on a separate misdemeanor charge.

[formrusmcsgt]

A judge removed a juror from a trial in suburban Detroit after the young woman wrote on Facebook that the defendant was guilty. The problem? The trial wasn't over.
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One wonders how someone this stupid made it through the selection process.....

[rf35]

What gives the defense the right to look jurors up on Facebook?!? Oh, it was the SON of the defense lawyer, so that's okay, he was just a private citizen unconnected with the case. GIVE ME A BREAK! So how did the son get a listing of the jurors in an ongoing trial? If this was a high-profile case, that kind of information could put the jurors' families in danger. What better way to get a "not guilty" verdict than pressure the jurors by threatening their loved ones? The defense lawyer should be held in contempt and they need to find something to charge her kid with. Yes, the juror was an idiot and probably deserved to be removed, but the bigger picture here is the very concept of looking up jurors on-line. Are potential jurors to be vetted via the Internet now? Disgusting. I realize on-line information is public, but there are issues of integrity involving how that information is used and by whom. Of course, I suppose expecting integrity from a lawyer or its offspring is asking an awful lot.

Kid sounds like a terrorist anyway. Probably on Facebook sending coded messages to his Al Qaeda contact.

[endurorob_5]

The kid was working for his mother, the defense attourney. The defense has a list of the jurors and I think that info is public info. The defense has the responsibility to ensure the defendent gets a fair trial. If this juror put info on facebook in public view that is her own stupidity.

[KeithDrippingSprings]

For those of you that think our justice system is about truth and honesty I suppose you can be surprised by this travesty but for the rest of you that know the truth, it really does not make a bit of difference.

America is 5% of the world?s population and we imprison 25% of the world?s prisoners. We are the most oppressive police state in the world. At their very worst Communist China never imprisoned as many people as we do.

[eddom9492]

Wow, great... I get this Jury Summons, type something into Facebook, and it's supposed to cost me 100 hours of my time... Relevance

[klilly]

The same people that think Jersey Shore and The Kardashians are quality entertainment are the type of people that hold people lives in their hand during a jury trial. Scary thought.

[endurorob_5]

Thats bacause they make it too easy to get out of jury duty.

[tsigili]

People today are complete idiots.

[cepe10-2009]

I agree with mjlewis6 go into any district court and you will find a kangaroo kourt and officers of the law who are corrupt and should be in jail for it

[mjlewis6]

As long as we are willing to hit a juror with contempt of court....
Be sure to slap a few lawyers and judges with contempt of the people when doing 'plea bargains' as those deprive the REAL PEOPLE of an input to justice.

And as long as each of us has to respect the jury system and expound the belief that one can ONLY BE FOUND GUILTY BEYOND A SHADOW OF DOUBT....Be sure to dismiss all those cases where there is LESS evidence and more BOLSTERING of a case with witness testimony that is clearly HEARSAY. People go to prison for 'feelings" rather than evidence and facts of a crime. More laywers ought to be going to jail for travesties of justice, including prosecutors suppressing evidence and witness tampering of their own.

[byrdh5n1]

Ahhhhhh, Facebook. That alone is an offense. Violating the trust, duty, and obligations of a juror.... And doing it on Facebook? That is a complete travesty. Jail time, please. Lots of it. And without computer access......