(a) The court, in its discretion, may, at each adjournment of the court before the submission of the cause to the jury, admonish the jury, whether permitted to be separate or kept in charge of officers, that, on pain of contempt of court, no juror shall, prior to discharge, accept, agree to accept, or benefit, directly or indirectly, from any payment or other consideration for supplying any information concerning the trial.
(b) In enacting this section, the Legislature recognizes that the appearance of justice, and justice itself, may be undermined by any juror who, prior to discharge, accepts, agrees to accept, or benefits from valuable consideration for providing information concerning a criminal trial.
(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 91, Sec. 128. Effective January 1, 1996.)