A juror was dismissed Monday after reporting that a woman dropped a bag of $120,000 in cash at her home and offered her more money if she would vote to acquit seven people charged with stealing more than $40 million from a program meant to feed children during the pandemic. “This is completely beyond the pale,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in court on Monday. The 23-year-old juror said she immediately turned over the bag of cash to police.
Why do outsiders have access to jurors in the first place? Was the jury not sequestered?
Sequestration is difficult for everyone, but it’s most burdensome on the jurors themselves. It’s usually avoided unless absolutely necessary.