A case of bad taste

According to a report published on cnn.com, an alternate juror in the Connecticut murder trial of Steven Hayes sent a note to the court marshal at the end of the court session last Friday that, "Asked him to meet her Sunday at a restaurant." The trial is now in the sentencing phase, with the jurors considering whether or not to sentence Mr. Hayes to death for the murder of Hayley Petit, her sister and her mother. (Hayley was admitted to Dartmouth early-decision and would have been a member of the Class of 2011.)

Judge Jon Blue denied a motion by Mr. Hayes's attorneys to dismiss the juror, though he did chastise her, calling her date request a, "G------ dumb thing to do." I couldn't agree more, Judge. Regardless of whether or not it is appropriate for an alternate juror to date a court marshal during a trial, this woman's choice of timing and venue is abysmal. I would stop short of saying that this lapse in judgment automatically disqualifies her to serve in the trial if called upon, but one wonders about her suitability to weigh a matter of life and death if this is how seriously she is taking her current role.

Everybody makes mistakes, and no one exercises perfect judgment all the time. But how could you possibly think that the sentencing phase of a murder trial, with capital punishment on the table, was an appropriate time to ask out a court official? Or that enlisting another juror to pass a note to said official was the best way to go about it? At least she didn't put the date request on Twitter.

Also, the article did not mention whether or not the marshal showed up at the restaurant. I suspect he did not.