High Court Rules That Jurors' Names Are Public

The Supreme Judicial Court's decision Tuesday stemmed from an appeal by The Boston Globe

The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that juror lists in criminal cases must be made public at the conclusion of trials, unless there is a substantial risk in doing do.

The Supreme Judicial Court's decision Tuesday stemmed from an appeal by The Boston Globe, which wanted to question jurors in the 2013 trial of Nathaniel Fujita of Wayland.

Fujita was convicted of murdering his former high school sweetheart in 2011 when they were both 18.

The Globe sought a list of jurors. Instead, the judge asked each juror if they wanted to be contacted by the newspaper, and gave the newspaper just two names.

The SJC said "the public's long-term interest in maintaining an open judicial process," requires that juror lists be made public unless there is a risk of harm to jurors.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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