Jury intimidation

RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Supreme Court upheld a man’s conviction of possession of child pornography, over his objection on the ground of juror misconduct. One juror called the sheriff and said he felt threatened, was threatened in the courthouse bathroom, and felt coerced into voting with the majority of jurors. Despite this “unusual background,” Virginia precedent says “the orderly administration of justice cannot be annulled by mere suspicion or possible inferences,” so the lower court was within its discretion to stick to the conviction.