What's an 8 letter word for what happens when a jury plays sudoko during a trial

This little noticed headline caught my attention earlier today. Apparently, one of the attorneys during a trial noticed a few of the jury members writing vertically instead of horizontally. Notwithstanding how that can be noticed, it turns out that five of the jury had decided that finishing their Sudoku puzzles (and some crossword puzzles) was more important than paying attention to the trial. The incessant scribbling had been previously noticed, but attributed to the jurors paying close attention and keeping good notes during this complex trial. The trial apparently had already cost Australian taxpayers nearly $1 million US.

Result? Not surprisingly, the 66-day trial was declared a mistrial. Apparently they are going to start fresh soon. See Sudoku-Playing Jurors Halt Trial; Trial Aborted Over Sudoku-Playing Jurors; Game Over: Sudoku Spoils a Trial in Australia. I wish this was an appealable issue on a case before me, if only for the humor factor involved.

Tags: australian sudoku stops trial, jury plays soduko and judge declares a mistrial