Judges have long instructed jurors to refrain from researching anything about the case at hand, and to abstain from discussing the case with anyone other than their fellow jurors once deliberations begin.
In this age of instantaneous Internet access to information about otherwise obscure topics or the parties involved in the trial, and with the ability to communicate about a case by blogging and using Twitter and Facebook, the temptation to ignore such instructions may be greater than ever before. In fact, jurors across the country have researched and discussed their trials via the Web, leading to mistrials and wasting weeks of litigation.
