Could Social Media Put Your New York or New Jersey Business Lawsuit at Risk?

by Robert Levy on April 9, 2012

There is growing concern in the legal community that social media use by jurors could influence the way business lawsuits and other cases are decided. A new survey of federal judges sheds light on the prevalence of the problem and what can be done to prevent it.

The survey was conducted by the Federal Judicial Center at the request of the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management. In total, 508 judges responded, including eight from the District of New Jersey.

As detailed in the resulting report, “Jurors’ Use of Social Media During Trials and

Deliberations,” judges acknowledged that although social media use by jurors is a

concern, it is often difficult to detect. Only 30 judges reported instances of detected social media use by jurors during trials or deliberations...