Question: You are a member of a jury. The jury is hearing a child molestation case in which the defendant is accused of a series of molestations in his neighborhood.

You are a member of a jury. The jury is hearing a child molestation case in which the defendant is accused of a series of molestations in his neighborhood. In an attempt to ensure the jury is not unduly influenced, the judge instructs the jury and all officers of the court (any person who has an obligation to promote justice and effective operation of the judicial system, including judges, the attorneys who appear in court, bailiffs, clerks and other personnel) not to discuss the case with anyone outside the courtroom - especially anyone involved in the case. After the fourth day of trial, you happen to ride on a very full elevator with the lead prosecutor. You are standing directly behind the prosecutor. The elevator is very crowded, and it is fairly obvious that the prosecutor has not noted your presence, and/or he does not recognize you as a member of the jury. You happen to overhear the prosecutor whispering to his assistant that the defendant has a previous arrest for child molestation, but the prosecutor is not allowed to mention this fact in court because the judge believes the information would unduly prejudice the jury. Based upon what you've heard so far, you expected the defendant might be guilty, but now you definitely believe he is guilty. What would you do?

Draft:

As a member of the jury, it is crucial to maintain the integrity of the judicial process and adhere to the instructions given by the judge. In this situation, overhearing the prosecutor's conversation puts me in a difficult position, as I have gained information that the judge has specifically excluded from the trial due to potential prejudice.

It is important to remember that my role as a juror is to consider only the evidence presented in court and follow the instructions provided by the judge. Therefore, I should not let this new information influence my decision-making process or discuss it with other jurors.

If I believe that this information has significantly affected my ability to remain impartial, I should bring it to the attention of the judge. This can be done by informing the court's bailiff or another court officer about the incident and requesting a private conversation with the judge. During this conversation, I would explain what I overheard and express my concerns about the impact on my impartiality.

Ultimately, it would be up to the judge to decide how to address the situation. They may choose to give further instructions to the jury, consider a mistrial, or take any other appropriate action based on the circumstances. It is important to trust in the judge's ability to handle such matters and to follow their guidance throughout the trial.