How social media impacts jury selection

SANFORD, Fla. – How jurors get their news continues to be in focus as a jury is selected for the George Zimmerman trial.

Some answers they give you would expect, like local television news, newspaper, or talk radio.

SPECIAL SECTION: George Zimmerman trial

But in this modern era, social media is becoming just as important.

Take for example this exchange between state prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda and B55, a college student majoring in business.

de la Rionda: "Specifically Facebook, are kids do Facebook I don't, but how do you, you just go on Facebook like the news aspect of it?"

B55: "Yeah, yeah like the news feed."

de la Rionda: "Okay and so you would have gotten some kind of information about the case at that time?"

B55: "Yeah."

"Nowadays, news comes into you whether you like it or not," said Mary Anne Franks, a professor at the University of Miami.

READ: Jury selection continues

Franks said that can be an issue if the judge decides to sequester the jury.

"There are so many things that could go wrong here, I think , so even in the best possible circumstances this would be a difficult trial, but given the nature of social media and how easy it is for people to, I guess, let the rest of the world know the things that maybe they shouldn't be doing, I am really anxious to see what kind of instructions the judge is going to give them," said Franks.

SPECIAL SECTION: George Zimmerman Trial

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