Paul is a paralegal with the firm of Chew & Bacca. Paul has been assigned to work with Hannibal Solo, who is representing Darth Vader in a products liability case against the manufacturer of the Death Star. Paul worked many long hours preparing the Vader case for trial, and he is now assisting Mr. Solo during trial. After a long day of trial and a full evening of preparing for the next day, Paul decides to relax a bit by catching up with his friends and family on Facebook®. While on Facebook®, Paul discovers the Facebook® page of one of the jurors on the Vader case. The juror posted a fully public comment on his Facebook® page about the Vader case. The comments are critical of the manufacturer and favorable to Mr. Vader's case. What is Paul's best course of action?
A)Do nothing, because the comments are favorable to Mr. Vader's case.
B)Inform Mr. Solo, because Mr. Solo must speak to the juror about the comments before trial resumes the next day.
C)Inform Mr. Solo, because Mr. Solo has an obligation to inform the court and insure a fair trial.
D)Post a reply on Facebook® informing the juror that he cannot comment on the trial while it is ongoing.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Paul's best course of action is to inform Mr. Solo, because Mr. Solo has an obligation inform the court and insure a fair trial. Attorneys in a litigation case owe a duty to the court to insure a fair trial process, and this rule extends to employees of litigation attorneys. Since jurors are prohibited from discussing a case prior to the verdict, the juror's comments may have unfairly prejudiced the trial process. Answer A is incorrect because it could take advantage of the unfairness. Answer B is incorrect because, as counsel for one of the parties, Mr. Solo cannot speak with jurors before the verdict. Answer D is incorrect because Paul, as Solo's employee, is also prohibited from speaking to jurors.

Paul Is a Paralegal with the Firm of Chew