Digital Commons Network^™

Toward A Limited Right Of Access To Jury Deliberations, Torrence Lewis

Federal Communications Law Journal

Jury deliberations receive extensive protection from public examination. These protections make jury deliberations much less accessible to the public than most other governmental deliberations. This Comment examines the constitutional, common law, and statutory protections for jury deliberations and the dangers that these protections seek to prevent. The Author argues that a limited post-verdict right of access to jury deliberations could restore public faith in the jury and could eventually improve the quality of jury deliberations. The Author suggests a possible framework that would provide the public with a limited right of access and still address the primary concerns that led …