9.66 Sequestration of jurors

Judges get to decide whether jurors should be kept isolated from the outside world during a trial. This means the judge can choose whether jurors go home at night or stay together in a controlled setting away from outside influences like news reports or conversations with other people.

There's one exception to this rule. In felony cases, once the jury finishes hearing the evidence and arguments and starts deciding on a verdict, they must be sequestered during that decision-making process. This keeps them from being influenced by anyone outside the jury while they're actively deliberating on a serious criminal charge.

The only way around this requirement is if both sides in the case, the prosecution and the defense, agree that sequestration isn't necessary. Even then, the judge has to approve that agreement. This gives some flexibility for practical reasons, like if a case is expected to take a long time and everyone agrees jurors don't need to be isolated overnight, but it still requires the judge to sign off on that decision.