Opinion ID: 1230272
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Restriction on Jurors' Names

Text: ¶ 7. Prior to jury selection for Tucker's trial, the circuit court judge told counsel off the record that [i]t has been my practice to use numbers and not names in this court. . . . What I'm prohibiting is the names of jurors being stated in the courtroom and for the record when other people may be sitting in the audience and using those names for any other reason. When defense counsel objected, the judge explained that the use of numbers is appropriate because this was a case involving drugs and an allegation of drug dealing which I think raises the bar to some extent in terms of any danger to jurors. The judge further explained that it's the practice of this Court simply to use numbers and just go right into using numbers as opposed to names, not highlighting the fact that the numbers are used and certainly making no statement to jurors about numbers being used for safety or anything else. During the trial, the judge corrected defense counsel when he referred to a juror by name, stating it's my practice to refer to the jurors by number, so please follow the practice. There was no other statement made in front of the jury regarding the use of numbers instead of their names.