in: barb; barb > 2008-06-10;
| # Posted 2008-06-11 03:45:58 | |
| bbrooke: | Since you mentioned sudoku puzzles a few weeks ago, I thought you might get a laugh out of this article, based on the outrageousness of their behavior. (It probably wasn't very funny to the person on trial, though...or to the prosecutors.) This is the exact technique I use in meetings (pretending to take notes), for the exact same reason (staying awake / halfway listening). I hope I would never be tempted to do it as a jury member...
Judge Halts Drug Case After Jurors Found to Be Playing Sudoku During Trial Tuesday, June 10, 2008 SYDNEY, Australia -- A judge halted a drug conspiracy trial Tuesday after some jurors were found to have been playing the puzzle game Sudoku while evidence was being given. Sydney District Court Judge Peter Zahra ended the trial Tuesday for two men facing a possible life sentence for drug conspiracy charges. The trial had been running for 66 days and had cost taxpayers an estimated $950,000. The judge was alerted after jurors were observed writing vertically, rather than horizontally. It had been assumed they were taking notes. "Yes, it helps me keep my mind busy paying more attention," the jury foreman told the judge Tuesday. "Some of the evidence is rather drawn out and I find it difficult to maintain my attention the whole time, and that doesn't distract me too much from proceedings." Jurors in the trial are anonymous, and no action can be taken against them for the puzzle playing. The foreman admitted to the judge four to five jurors were playing puzzle games for up to half the time the trial had been going. "Jurors are sort of the judges of the facts and it's very disappointing they weren't giving our clients a fair trial," said Robyn Hakelis, a lawyer for one of the defendants. A new trial is expected to begin in a few weeks. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,365082,00.html |
| # Posted 2008-06-11 07:35:37 | |
| barb: | !!
And tomorrow morning I'm heading to Woburn for jury duty! Good thing you warned me off Sudoku. |
| # Posted 2008-06-14 09:17:16 | |
| Terry: | Brooke wrote:
This is the exact technique I use in meetings (pretending to take notes), for the exact same reason (staying awake / halfway listening). I hope I would never be tempted to do it as a jury member... I think playing Sudoku to stay awake and pay better attention is a good thing. Why do the judge and lawyer need to pretend that the jurors, ordinary folks with ordinary intelligence and ordinary attention spans on average, would actually be more effective were they not playing Sudoku? Do they really not realize that the Sudoku is helping, not hindering? Maybe they don't want to open the door to other activites, such as knitting, stretching, listening to an iPod, or texting. In grad school I used to sometimes knit to stay awake in class. |
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