Jurors in Butler County, OH, Common Pleas Judge Patricia Oney’s courtroom have limited television viewing choices until the verdict is in, says the Oxford Press. For nearly a decade, judges, prosecutors, and detectives have been experiencing the “CSI blowback” in local courtrooms. That has created an unrealistic expectation of what can and cannot be done with evidence in the minds of jurors, said Oney, who was a defense attorney before becoming a judge.
Oney has a list of fictional viewing “no-nos” for jurors. According to the Associated Press, the list includes “CSI” and “Law and Order.” “So many shows now are pulled in part from cases all over the country,” Oney said. “I don’t want jurors watching them while they are in deliberation.” Defense attorney Melynda Cook-Reich, who is certified to represent defendants in death penalty cases, said she agrees with Oney’s no-viewing list while jurors are in the middle of deciding a case.
Link: http://www.oxfordpress.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/08/14/hjn081407oney.html