Discussion Thread Evidence Admission and Suppression
Summarize the basic rules of evidence and explain how juror use of social media to gather “evidence” is a violation of the basic rules of evidence.
The rules of evidence, which are widely accepted, bear foundational principles such as relevancy and accuracy, and the information must have been gathered properly to present a fair trial. Jurors’ use of social media to gather “evidence” is against these rules as they bring in information that may not be accurate or even legal. Unauthorized information gives a biased and prejudiced view of the jury, thus making it partial (Hawkins, 2022). Such actions are against the court’s directions and the Constitution, which gives a party a right to a trial by presenting evidence inside the courtroom. In the long run, this distorts the justice delivery system and the proper functioning of the judiciary.
Explain the importance of gathering evidence that comports with Constitutional provisions and the rules of evidence. How does social media undermine a juror’s ability to deliver an impartial verdict?
Ensuring that the evidence collected is purely constitutional and follows the laws of evidence protects the rights of all parties involved. This evidence is, therefore, evaluated on grounds of relevance, reliability, and legality, maintaining the integrity of the judicial process. Social media compromises the juror’s independence by introducing unverified, potentially biased information that has not been subjected to the court’s scrutiny (Sastry, 2020). This external influence can result in prejudices and decisions based only on lesser or wrong information, thereby affecting the fairness of the trial.
From a biblical perspective, what principles support adherence to established rules within our criminal justice system? Provide the relevant Scripture.
From a biblical worldview, concepts like justice, fairness, and truth foster compliance with the set of laws in the criminal justice system. Proverbs 21:15 states, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers,” emphasizing a way of demanding fair and just procedures. Furthermore, Deuteronomy 16:20 commands, “Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you,” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001) signifying that justice must be done through established rules.
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
Hawkins, A. (2022). Racial Bias in Jury Deliberations: Conversational Patterns Underscoring Biased Convictions in the U.S. In NYU Abu Dhabi Journal of Social Sciences. https://sites.nyuad.nyu.edu/jss/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Judical_Racial_Bias_JSS-1.pdf
Sastry, D. V. V. L. N. (2020). Media Trials and Criminal Justice in India. Idea Publishing.
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Question 
Discussion Thread Evidence Admission and Suppression
A federal Judiciary committee has issued a new set of model jury instructions that federal judges may use to deter jurors from using social media to research or communicate about cases. States have also adopted rules regarding what should be deemed properly gathered evidence. These new instructions caution jurors about the ways in which social media can undermine a jury’s ability to deliver an impartial verdict. However, the ability to limit what information a juror has access to is becoming increasingly more difficult to control at both the federal and the state court level. The temptation to know “the truth” can drive jurors to ignore the mandates of the Court and the Constitution as well as the rules governing the proper gathering of evidence.
Discussion Thread Evidence Admission and Suppression
Based on the course material, lecture notes, and Scripture:
- Summarize the basic rules of evidence and explain how juror use of social media to gather “evidence” is a violation of the basic rules of evidence.
- Explain the importance of gathering evidence that comports with Constitutional provisions and the rules of evidence. How does social media undermine a juror’s ability to deliver an impartial verdict?
- From a biblical perspective, what principles support adherence to established rules within our criminal justice system? Provide the relevant Scripture.