Juror Booted for 'Sitting in Hell' Facebook Post

Ohio man's Facebook message prompts calls for mistrial
By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 31, 2009 3:41 PM CST
Juror Booted for 'Sitting in Hell' Facebook Post
The Facebook logo is displayed at a news conference in New York in this November 6, 2007 file photo.   (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, file)

An Ohio man inadvertently discovered a new, high-tech way to get out of jury duty: write about it on Facebook. A judge in a high-profile civil lawsuit booted Barry Price from service after the plaintiff’s attorney discovered his Facebook status: “Barry Price is sitting in hell… aka jury duty.” The defense team asked for a mistrial, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

But the judge refused, saying Price “has been removed from service. Let’s move on, folks.” Next week, jurors are expected to be seated in the case, which was brought by a worker severely injured in a rail yard accident. Price, 27, did not explain why he was removed from the jury pool, saying, “I don’t recall.”
(More Facebook stories.)

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