Steve Martin 'Jury Duty' Tweets Fake Out Media

Comedian Steve Martin created a buzz on Twitter with a series of tweets about jury duty. He had a slew of media outlets reporting on his "jury duty" antics, started off off with:

REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: defendant looks like a murderer. GUILTY. Waiting for opening remarks.

Twelve minutes later, the Steve Martin jury duty tweets continued with:

"REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: guy I thought was up for murder turns out to be defense attorney. I bet he murdered someone anyway."

The tweets got a lot of attention on Twitter. Several users didn't get the joke and sent Martin warnings not to tweet from the jury pool. Of course Martin wasn't serving on a jury at all and the Steve Martin jury duty tweets were a clever hoax. Actual Tweeting jurors, however, is becoming increasingly common. Reuters reported that judges have overturned verdicts in dozens of criminal and civil cases due to jurors that have been venting in social media while serving on a jury.

Martin posted a number of additional humorous Tweets worthy of reading, including:

• "FINAL REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: Defendant sentenced to death. Feeling bad. Wait...call from REAL JURORS OF BEVERLY HILLS. WORTH IT!"
• "REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: Finally, jurors are deliberating. I'm bored, so I'm making a list of my films in order of greatness."
• "REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: Uh oh. Jury foreman mixed up verdict with my greatest film list. Read out three film titles and judge booed."
• "REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: Lunch break. Discussing case with news media gives me chance to promote my book."
• "REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: Attorneys presenting "evidence." Since when are security photos, DNA, and testimony evidence? Trusting intuition."

Related Resources:

• Tweeting from Jury Duty, Steve Martin Judges Defense Lawyer Guilty (ABA Journal)
• Jim Morrison Pardoned for Indecent Exposure (FindLaw's Blotter)
• Man Convicted of Indecent Exposure at Home (FindLaw's Legally Weird)