Court Aide Punished for Friending Juror

A Philadelphia court officer has been suspended for trying to “friend” a female juror on Facebook. The 25-year court veteran defied the rules by contacting her, an administrator tells the Inquirer. The aide is back on the job after 10 days off, but has been moved away from contact with jurors and told he’ll be fired if it happens again.

“He asked to be her friend. She initially said no, and I believe she subsequently said yes,” says a court administrator who adds that the juror reported the contact. “Whether she said yes or no, it’s inappropriate for a court officer to be doing that.” (More Facebook stories.)