Question:

What does it mean when a jury is sequested?

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Ha sorry I only heard it on TV! Thanks for the help!

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  1. To make a fair ruling in a court case, the jury is supposed to decide purely on the evidence and testimony presented in the trial, not be swayed by anything in the news media on the case, which often includes allegations not presented in the trial, not true accusations that the police investigated and found to be not having any witnesses or evidence to substantiate them, but are still being trumpeted by TV anchors.

    Some cases attract a lot of attention by the news media, and it is difficult for any jury member to go home, not turn on TV, not look at newspaper, not talk with anyone who may have been influenced by that, not discuss the case outside the jury.

    When there is heavy news media focus on some case, the judge may be asked to arrange for the jury to be kept separated from the outside world until the case is decided.

    This means that the court puts them up in some hotel, limits their access to the outside world ... they can maybe have one phone call a day with family, but a bailiff is listening in on the call to make sure nothing is said about the case.

    Similarly when they go to a restaurant, they are in a section away from everyone else, wtih policemen to enforce their seclusion.

    This way the needs of the jury members are met, but at the same time, they separated from the rest of the world, so they can judge the case based on what they hear in court, and not be influenced by what's going on outside the court.


  2. It's "sequestered."

    It means the judge orders them to have no contact with the outside world during the trial so that they can't be influenced by outside sources.

    They put them in a hotel for the duration of the trial.

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