WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- Lawyers will now be able to examine the social media sites of potential and active jurors to evaluate them for jury favorability and conduct.
The American Bar Association's committee on ethics and responsibility announced the decision after jurors discussed trials and proceedings on social media. The ABA said it can be used as a tool to vet potential jurors.
This means that if someone consistently criticizes Wall Street on their social media accounts, they probably won't be picked as a juror for a white-collar crime case.
There are concerns about privacy, but the ABA said it considers social media posts public and enacted a restriction on lawyers "friending" jurors to find out information. Judges are also required to notify jurors that their social media may be monitored.
