Sequester

sequester v. to keep separate or apart. In so-called "high-profile" criminal prosecutions (involving major crimes, events, or persons given wide publicity) the jury is sometimes "sequestered" in a hotel without access to news media, the general public or their families except under supervision, in order to prevent the jury from being "tainted" by information or opinions about the trial outside of the evidence in the courtroom. A witness may be sequestered from hearing the testimony of other witnesses, commonly called being "excluded," until after he/she has testified, supposedly to prevent that witness from being influenced by other evidence or tailoring his/her testimony to fit the stories of others. (See: sequestration)

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TO SEQUESTER, civil and eccl. law. To renounce. Example, when a widow comes into court and disclaims having anything to do, or to intermeddle with her deceased husband's estate, she is said to sequester. Jacob, L. D. h.t.