Michigan Supreme Court to ban electronic communication during trial

The Michigan Supreme Court recently announced that electronic communications will be banned during jury trials and deliberations.  The move is a response to recent developments nationwide, including multiple appeals citing evidence relating to juror communications.  The media describing the new rule cited examples of a corporate executive texting to his boss during a side-bar conference, and to jurors posting contemporaneous messages on FaceBook or other sites.  A serious concern was expressed by Charlie Koop, Prosecutor from Antrim County, with regard to jurors attempting to answer evidentiary questions through independent electronic research on the web.