152 'Jury Dodgers' Face Possible Jail Time After Skipping Duty At Detroit's District Court
DETROIT (WWJ) - The 36th District Court in Detroit is going after people who've failed to show up for jury duty.
The court is citing more than 150 people who who were summoned for jury duty twice, but failed to appear both times. Those 152 so-called "jury dodgers" are now scheduled for show cause hearings on November 9 and 10 to explain why they shouldn't be held in contempt of court. Offenders could be found guilty, fined hundreds of dollars, or possibly even incarcerated.
Failure to appear at the show cause hearing could also result in a warrant for arrest.
"The U.S. Constitution guarantees all people, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status, the right to trial by an impartial jury," Chief Judge Nancy M. Blount said in a statement. "Jury duty is an important civic responsibility that should not be taken lightly, and those citizens not responding to this essential obligation could face serious consequences."
At this point, the court says the only way those 152 people can avoid the show cause hearing is to show up for jury duty, as ordered, between now and then.
