Juror Jumping

I Was A Juror On A Murder Trial

Ozy Brennan | Thing Of Things | 13th June 2025

Observations from jury duty. Most of the evidence in the case would not have existed twenty years ago: Instagram posts, ShotSpotter. The jury instructions present a dilemma: “how could I be sure that I wasn’t changing my opinion based on struck testimony?”. Mainly, these rules are meant to constrain which arguments are allowed in jury deliberations. Ultimately, the jury is hung due to a Kantian (7,600 words)

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The Jumping Frenchmen Of Maine

Kaushik Patowary | Amusing Planet | 16th June 2025

In the late 19C, French-Canadian lumberjacks in Maine exhibited dramatic involuntary reactions to sudden movement or loud noise: leaping into the air, repeating words, screaming, instantly obeying shouted commands — traits later observed in other lumbering communities. Neurologist George Beard noted that these “jumpers” were “as powerless as apoplectics or hysterics” (2,000 words)