jury tampering
Jury tampering refers to improper communications with a juror with the purpose of influencing the juror’s deliberative process prior to a trial verdict . Jury tampering can occur via private communication, directly by a party , or through a third-party contact regarding matters directly related to the case being tried. Examples of jury tampering may include; providing outside information to a juror, bribing, threatening or intimidating a juror to influence the verdict . Lawyers (including prosecutors ), plaintiffs , defendants , and even jurors themselves can be involved in jury tampering.
Jury tampering is both an ethical infraction and a criminal offense . Depending on the state, jury tampering can be a felony offense or a misdemeanor . For example, in New York , tampering with the jury is a class A misdemeanor.
The law against jury tampering is to ensure a person’s Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury . In Remmer v United States , the Supreme Court held that jury tampering in criminal cases are presumptively prejudicial, meaning that the party faced with allegations of jury tampering bears the burden to prove that there is no reasonable possibility that the tampering affected the impartiality of the jury.
[Last reviewed in March of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
Wex