Sudoku-playing jurors make judge stop drug trial
By shakeroo
@shakeroo (3986)
Malaysia
June 10, 2008 11:34am CST
They are supposed to be listening to the case and yet they were busy playing sudoku...
Sydney District Court Judge Peter Zahra ended the trial Tuesday for two men facing a possible life sentence for drug conspiracy charges. The trial had been running for 66 days and had cost taxpayers an estimated 1 million Australian dollars (US$950,000).
The judge was alerted after it was observed the jurors were writing vertically, rather than horizontally. It had been assumed they were taking notes.
"Yes, it helps me keep my mind busy paying more attention," the jury foreman told the judge Tuesday. "Some of the evidence is rather drawn out and I find it difficult to maintain my attention the whole time, and that doesn't distract me too much from proceedings."
Do you think the accused will get a fair trial there? What do you think?
Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080610/ap_on_fe_st/sudoku_jurors;_ylt=AgccV34lEVJjqeEch1gMVcLtiBIF
1 person likes this
1 response
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
10 Jun 08
At least the jurors weren't snoring!
It does sound a little as though they weren't taking their civic duties seriously. Unfortunately, much of court proceedings can be excessively boring. The judge is going to cover most of the relevant points in his summing up, anyway, so perhaps it is better to keep one's mind alert somehow - even by playing Sudoku!
It isn't something I would ever recommend but it is true that one's mind can concentrate on two tasks at once and may even assimilate information better when part of it is occupied in another, different, way.
1 person likes this
