Alaska Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction 1.02

I will now give you some important instructions about your conduct as jurors.

You, as jurors, must decide this case based solely on the evidence presented here in court [unless I specifically instruct you otherwise]. This means that during the trial you must not obtain any outside information from ANY source about this case or the people involved in it.

The reason for this instruction is that the parties, the court, and the public have a right to know what evidence you, as jurors, are using to decide this case. If you decide the case based on information you find on the Internet or through communicating with friends, this right will be violated. In recent years, because of the growth in electronic communications, an increasing number of cases have had to be retried, at great expense, because of juror misconduct in obtaining outside information from the Internet, blogs, e-mail, electronic messaging, social networking sites, and other sources. I need to be assured that each of you will do everything you can to prevent such an unfortunate outcome from happening in this case.

So, do not look up ANY information about this case or the people, places, or subjects involved in it from any source, including any public database, dictionary, the Internet, or other reference material. Do not look for information on-line or use a search engine like Google to obtain information. Do not read, listen to, or watch any newspaper, television, or radio report or commentary about the case. You must let me or my staff know immediately if you or any other jurors see or hear news reports or other reports, comments, or information about the case.

Do not discuss with anyone, including friends, family, or co-workers, any subject connected with this case. "No discussion" also means no electronic communication – no emailing, texting, instant messaging, tweeting, blogging, chatting, or posting on Facebook, MySpace, or any other social networking site. You may tell people who need to know that you have been picked for the jury and how long the case may take. But do not discuss the case in any other way.

If anyone tries to talk to you about this case, tell that person that you cannot discuss the case because you are a juror. If the person won’t stop, walk away and report the incident to me or to a court clerk or bailiff.

Special rules apply to the attorneys, parties, and witnesses in this case. You must not talk about any subject with any of these people while you are serving on this jury. They are not allowed to talk to you, except during court proceedings. By this I mean that you must not have any discussion whatsoever, even to pass the time of day. No one will think you are being rude when you do this. If you find yourself in a location where the case is being discussed, leave the area immediately so you can avoid hearing anything. If you follow this instruction, everyone will know that you are being completely fair.

Do not discuss this case with other jurors until you begin your deliberations at the end of the case. Do not form or express any opinion on the case until you begin your deliberations. A case can only be presented one piece at a time, and it is important that you keep an open mind until you have heard all the evidence, the arguments of counsel, and the court’s instructions on the law. When you talk about things, you start to make decisions about them and it is extremely important that you not make any decisions about this case until you have heard all the evidence and all the rules for making your decisions.

Do not conduct any tests or experiments, do any research, or visit the places discussed in this case. If you happen to pass by any of these places, do not stop or investigate. Do not communicate any private or special knowledge about any of the facts of this case to your fellow jurors.

Please remember this instruction throughout the trial. I will try to remind you of it whenever we take a break and at the end of the day. At the end of the trial, I will let you know when you are released from this instruction and how you can communicate with other people about the case if you wish to do so.