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Sequestration, a term meaning “to set apart,” is used in several
different contexts in the legal community. It can refer to
setting apart people, temporarily holding property, or freezing
assets, for somewhat different reasons. Usually sequestration is
ordered when there is a concern that interference could result
in a miscarriage of justice or when there is a worry that
someone may attempt to abscond with property or assets if they
are not set aside. In terms of people, one form of sequestration
is jury sequestration. A jury may be sequestered when there is a
reason to fear jury tampering. For the duration of the trial and
the juror deliberations, the jurors are isolated from the public
so that people cannot intimidate, bribe, or otherwise interfere
with the jurors. This may also be done when a case is so high
profile that there are concerns that the jurors will be exposed
to prejudicial information, ranging from reports on the news to
comments from friends