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Earth_First

(14,910 posts) Mon Jun 23, 2014, 08:13 AM Jun 2014

American Bar Association: Lawyers can scour jurors' tweets, Facebook posts

SAN FRANCISCO — Lawyers have been given the green light to scan the social media sites of jurors.

The American Bar Association says it's ethical for lawyers to scour online for publicly available musings of citizens called for jury service — and even jurors in deliberations.

But the ABA does warn lawyers against actively "following" or "friending" jurors or otherwise invading their private Internet areas.

One company has gone so far as to develop a software product that promises to create a juror profile through social media posts and monitor jurors during the trial.

http://m.jacksonville.com/breaking-news/2014-06-22/story/american-bar-association-lawyers-can-scour-jurors-tweets-facebook

4 replies

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American Bar Association: Lawyers can scour jurors' tweets, Facebook posts (Original Post) Earth_First Jun 2014 OP

"Scour" doesn't seem to be the right word. Searched, maybe? merrily Jun 2014 #1

Can we do the same to lawyers? hobbit709 Jun 2014 #2

If you don't want lawyers or employers looking at your page, use the appropriate privacy settings badtoworse Jun 2014 #3

Turn it around gratuitous Jun 2014 #4

merrily

(45,251 posts)

1. "Scour" doesn't seem to be the right word. Searched, maybe?

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Mon Jun 23, 2014, 08:20 AM

Jun 2014

IOW, if I put something, like a tweet, for example, out on the internet, with my name, or with enough information to link me to the tweet, anyone can read it? My employer? A prospective employer? My neighbor? A lawyer interested in learning my views on crime, jury duty, etc.?

Is that what this news story is telling us?

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

2. Can we do the same to lawyers?

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Mon Jun 23, 2014, 08:23 AM

Jun 2014

badtoworse

(5,957 posts)

3. If you don't want lawyers or employers looking at your page, use the appropriate privacy settings

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Mon Jun 23, 2014, 08:49 AM

Jun 2014

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

4. Turn it around

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:00 AM

Jun 2014

Let's say you're going to trial for a civil or criminal matter. Prospective Juror Number 22 seems a good sort, fair-minded and honest. Your lawyer is ready to seat him on the jury when a paralegal tugs on the lawyer's sleeve with a Facebook page filled by Juror Number 22 and his demented ramblings about the jury system and how to subvert a trial by getting on a jury.

It would be malpractice for your lawyer to accept Juror Number 22 while ignoring such easily available public information. I'd want my lawyer checking every publicly available source for information on the potential jurors in the pool, including Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.

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