Grant-and-transfer in juror Facebook case

The juror who is trying to protect his Facebook postings from disclosure to a criminal defendant he helped convict got some help from the Supreme Court today. Last month, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye temporarily stayed a trial court disclosure order. Now the full court has granted the juror’s petition for review and transferred the case back to the Third District Court of Appeal, which had summarily denied the juror’s writ petition. The Court of Appeal is required “to vacate its order denying prohibition and to issue an order directing respondent superior court to show cause why the relief sought in the petition should not be granted.” The Supreme Court also ordered the Chief Justice’s stay order to “remain in effect pending further order of the Court of Appeal.”