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Judge punishes juror for Facebook post with essay
The Associated Press
Date: Thursday Sep. 2, 2010 11:22 AM ET
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. A Detroit-area woman who was removed from a jury for commenting about the ongoing case on Facebook has a longer writing task ahead: a five-page essay about the constitutional right to a fair trial.
A judge ordered the essay Thursday for Hadley Jons, three weeks after she wrote on Facebook that it was "gonna be fun to tell the defendant they're GUILTY." The trial, however, wasn't over.
"I'm sorry, very sorry," Jons, 20, told Macomb County Circuit Judge Diane Druzinski.
The post was discovered by the defence team Aug. 11 -- before the defence had even started its case -- and Jons was removed from the jury the next day.
Druzinski told Jons that it didn't matter whether she used Facebook to express an opinion or simply spoke to a friend about the case.
"You violated your oath. ... You had decided she was already guilty without hearing the other side," the judge said.
By Oct. 1, Jons must submit an essay about the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and pay a $250 fine.
Jons declined comment outside court. Her attorney, John Giancotti, said the outcome was appropriate. He declined further comment.
Jons was a juror in a criminal case against Leann Etchison, who was charged with resisting arrest. She was eventually found guilty.
The Facebook post was found by Jaxon Goodman, the 17-year-old son of Etchison's defence lawyer.
"She'll think twice about how important being on a jury is," Goodman said.
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I think he was pushed to take matters into his own hands. I have a teenage son and if he was involved with a drug dealer I would be furious and try anything to save him like this father did for his daughter. Why do police often say they can't do anything until it's too late? Whether it be a drug dealer or an abusive spouse, the police can't seem to do anything until something really bad happens. In this case they could have raided the drug dealers home and arrested him. The whole town knew what was going on in that house but yet the police chose to do nothing. Release this man and give him a medal for doing the right thing by his daughter. I can't wait to see the episode on W5, I will certainly be watching this one.
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