The reluctant juror
What’s your first response when you get that jury duty notice in the mail? Are you eager to step up to your civic duty? Or do you bemoan the fact and try to get yourself excused?
I’m not here to judge your reaction. But I do want to share with you what happened to one young man who reportedly went to court and then bailed on jury duty after lunch because he was “extremely bored” and “just couldn’t take it anymore.” The incident happened in Oregon and the Washington County judge was not amused.
She issued an arrest warrant and charged the errant 25-year old with contempt of court. The maximum penalty for missing jury duty is six months in jail, but the sentence is often waived if jury duty is completed.
It never pays to anger a judge.
My husband received a jury duty notice within the last year and when he arrived at our county courthouse on the appointed day a well dressed man walked in and joined the group. He looked vaguely familiar, but my husband couldn’t place him — until the man’s name was called. It was John Edwards, the former senator and presidential candidate. Even he knew not to ignore the call to jury duty.
P.S.: Our local case involved the breaking and entering of a home and petty theft. My husband was ultimately not selected to sit on the jury and excused. Mr. Edwards was not.
Tags: contempt of court, jury duty