Jury tampering is the crime of unduly attempting to influence the composition and/or decisions of a jury during the course of a trial.
The means by which this crime could be perpetrated can include attempting to discredit potential jurors to ensure they will not be selected for duty. Once selected, jurors could be bribed or intimidated to act in a certain manner on duty. It could also involve making unauthorized contact with them for the purpose of introducing prohibited outside information and then arguing for a mistrial.
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United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 allows for non-jury trials when there is danger of jury tampering, or where jury tampering has taken place.[1] On 18 June 2009, the Court of Appeal in England and Wales made a landmark ruling that resulted in the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, allowing the first-ever criminal trial to be held without a jury by invoking Section 44 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The case in question involves four men accused of an armed robbery at Heathrow Airport in February 2004. It will be the fourth time the the case will be tried but this time in front of only a single judge.[2]
Levels of jury tampering were reported in 2003 to be "worringly high" in Merseyside by the then Chief Constable Norman Bettison and the then Home Secretary David Blunkett.[3]
Cases of jury tampering
- Jimmy Hoffa, a trade union leader, was convicted of jury tampering in 1964.[4]
- The former West Virginia Governor, William Wallace Barron was convicted of jury tampering in 1971.[5]
- In 2007, an attempt to bribe a juror in a case investigating cigarette smuggling in Northern Ireland led to the retrial being heard by a judge sitting alone, the first such ruling.[6]
In fiction
The John Grisham book The Runaway Jury and the film adaptation Runaway Jury both depict attempted jury tampering.
See also
References
- ^ CPS (10 January 2008). "Non Jury Trials: Legal Guidance". The Crown Prosecution Service. http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/non_jury_trials/. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.
- ^ BBC News: First trial without jury approved, 18 June 2009
- ^ "Blunkett tackles jury tampering". BBC News. 18 November 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/3282049.stm. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Hoffa faces eight years behind bars". BBC News. 12 March 1964. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/12/newsid_2561000/2561165.stm. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Ex-Governor of West Virginia Pleads Guilty to Bribing Foreman of His Jury". New York Times: pp. 16. 30 March 1971. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0E1FF83D5E11738DDDA90B94DB405B818BF1D3. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Jury bribe bid sees trial ruling". BBC News. 16 October 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7047531.stm. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.
External links
- Criminal Justice Act 2003. Chapter 44, Part 7. Trials on indictment without a jury
- What is 'jury tampering'?. Videojug.
- Hayes, Matt (November 26, 2003). "The Inside Scoop on Jury Tampering". Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104199,00.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.
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