Anonymous juries will soon be permitted in Maryland criminal trials if a judge believes juror harassment, tampering or safety is a concern.
Maryland’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, voted 6-1 on Monday to allow anonymous juries, the Baltimore Sun reports.
The court said such juries should be rare and jurors would be referred to only by number, not name, in those cases, according to the Sun.
Starting Sept. 1, the judge in the case will be allowed to determine whether there’s a need to protect the jurors’ identities.
