FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- A Texas judge says a juror who tried to "friend" the defendant on Facebook must serve two days of community service for contempt of court.
Jonathan Hudson, a juror in a July civil case involving a 2008 car accident in Tarrant County, pleaded guilty last week to four counts of contempt of court for trying to contact the defendant and discussing the case on Facebook, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Sunday.
Hudson, 22, tried to contact the defendant, Courtney Downing, on Facebook after the trial had adjourned for the day. Downing told her attorney and Hudson was dismissed the next morning.
The newspaper said Texas gives jurors specific instructions that they are are not to discuss their cases on social networking sites.
Hudson's attorney said his client is "a nice kid who made a silly mistake," the newspaper reported.
