In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts

Active Internet users in the United States spend 23 percent of the time they are online on social networking sites and blogs. Facebook, the most popular social networking site in the United States, currently boasts more one billion users. Twitter, another social networking site that has recently seen a surge in users, surpassed 500 million registered users by 2012. Further, 88 percent of American adults own cell phones, 46 percent of which are smart phones, capable of accessing the Internet and social media sites anytime, anywhere. Easy access to the Internet and social media websites does not end with receipt of a jury summons. Although juror misconduct has always been a concern within the judicial system, the prevalence of technology available to jurors has increased the ease with which jurors can improperly communicate with each other and with other trial participants, publish information regarding the trial, and conduct outside research on the case...

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