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Trial by sudoku

Sydney: As jurors sat day after day in a courtroom listening to testimony from 105 witnesses in a major drugs trial, it seemed as if some were taking their duties very seriously indeed. They were spotted assiduously taking notes, prompting the judge to compliment them on their diligence. But when one defendant saw they were writing vertically, not horizontally, the secret came out — they had been playing sudoku.

On Tuesday, the million-dollar trial at Sydney district court was abandoned after the head juror admitted she and four or five others had been playing the numbers puzzle for almost the entire period of the hearing.

Questioned by Judge Peter Zahra, the head juror said she had found some of the evidence during the 66-day trial drawn out and that playing the puzzle helped her focus. She admitted that some jurors had copied sudoku games and compared results during breaks.

The puzzle playing was spotted by the two male defendants, who are facing possible life sentences on drugs manufacturing and firearms charges. Both noticed the “note-taking” while in the witness box.

When alerted, defence lawyer Robyn Hakelis watched the jurors. “I noticed they were writing in all different directions and straightway I thought: ‘They’re not taking notes.’”

The trial was in its final stages when the judge was alerted and he discharged the jury. He said the sudoku players had let down fellow jurors and everyone involved in the trial.

The New South Wales sheriff’s office will update its guidelines, telling jurors it is unacceptable to play games in court. A new trial date, and new jury, will be set. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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