Judge Twitter

Judge Peter Cahill (@JudgeCahill) may be the first in the Fourth Judicial District, Hennepin County, to actively use Twitter for official business. Cahill is presiding over the Mahdi Hassan Ali triple homicide trial, which is still in the jury selection phase. The process started earlier this week with a pool of 50 jurors. Each one has to be questioned individually by both defense and prosecuting attorneys. Since they can't fit everybody in on one day, Cahill tweets messages to let prospective jurors know when they need to report for questions.

Today in the courtroom, defense attorney Fred Goetz asked a prospective juror if he used Facebook. The older gentlemen replied that it was real new to him and he didn't think he liked it. Then the man turned to Judge Cahill and said, "But I enjoy your tweeter."

Testimony in the trial is scheduled to begin next week.

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