Juror Faces Jail Time for Friending Defendant on Facebook During Trial
A juror in Florida could face jail time for friending a defendant on Facebook, while serving on the jury for her trial.
Jacob Jock was selected for jury duty in December for a car accident case, according WTSP.com. However, Jock was removed from the courtroom when it was discovered that he looked up one of the defendants on Facebook and sent her a friend request. The judge dismissed Jock from the case and admonished him for his Facebook activity.
Court officials later learned about further Facebook activity after Jock was dismissed, according to USA Today. Jock reportedly continued to write on Facebook about the case after being thrown out of court, bragging about getting out of jury duty.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Damien Mallard, attorney for the plaintiff, said that Jock was detailing his excitement after being dismissed.
"He said 'Ha, ha, ha, I got out of jury duty'," Mallard said.
Mallard says that while Jock joked about the case, the online taunt was a big deal to his client.
"To my client who had $48,000 in medical bills on the line, it was a very big deal to him," Mallard said. "If this type of behavior is permitted without there being serious ramifications, it's something we'll see over and over again," Mallard said.
The judge has scheduled a hearing to discuss possible contempt of court charges against Jock. If he is found guilty, he will face a fine or jail time.
Mallard wondered what would happen if the female defendant had agreed to go out with Jock in favor of him ruling in her favor. He said that any defendant in that position could consider it, adding that a defendat may not alert their lawyer in future instances.
Reportedly, the posting of comments about being kicked off the case, is what led to the judge finding him in contempt.
