Nemesis
04-03-2004, 05:39 AM
No laughing matter as joke leads to retrial
April 3, 2004
A THREE-week drug trial in the NSW District Court costing at least $75,000 has been aborted over an April Fool's joke.
A judge's associate yesterday confirmed a jury had been hearing the drug trafficking trial of two people for almost three weeks when it was aborted over the gag on Thursday.
She would not elaborate on the nature of the joke, but it is believed a juror told the other 11 members before entering the court room that the pair had changed their plea.
After the others expressed their astonishment he announced it was an April Fool's prank, but 15 minutes later he retold the joke to a court officer in the jury room.
The court officer allegedly told the judge who released the jury and ordered a retrial.
The Law Society's criminal law section chairwoman Pauline Wright said it was risky for jurors to make jokes about the case they were hearing.
"In general juries have got a really important function to serve and they really have to take it seriously," she said.
The Daily Telegraph
news.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9170691%255E26462,00.html)
April 3, 2004
A THREE-week drug trial in the NSW District Court costing at least $75,000 has been aborted over an April Fool's joke.
A judge's associate yesterday confirmed a jury had been hearing the drug trafficking trial of two people for almost three weeks when it was aborted over the gag on Thursday.
She would not elaborate on the nature of the joke, but it is believed a juror told the other 11 members before entering the court room that the pair had changed their plea.
After the others expressed their astonishment he announced it was an April Fool's prank, but 15 minutes later he retold the joke to a court officer in the jury room.
The court officer allegedly told the judge who released the jury and ordered a retrial.
The Law Society's criminal law section chairwoman Pauline Wright said it was risky for jurors to make jokes about the case they were hearing.
"In general juries have got a really important function to serve and they really have to take it seriously," she said.
The Daily Telegraph
news.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9170691%255E26462,00.html)