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Saturday, December 24, 2005
Ind. Courts - Lake County jury pool member sent to jail
"Juror sent to jail: Judge rejects her excuse for leaving jury selection" is the headline to this story by Ruthann Robinson in today's Munster (NW Indiana) Times. Some quotes:
CROWN POINT | Bailiff! Take her away. On Friday, Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez ordered to jail a juror who absconded during jury selection in the case against Wilton Sandifer.Vasquez said Shalonda Walker, of Gary, was a member of the jury pool called to service for the arson and attempted murder trial Dec. 12. A few hours into the process of picking 12 jurors and two alternates, the court broke for lunch and Vasquez ordered those remaining in the pool to return after the break.
Vasquez said Walker didn't come back. * * *
Court Administrator Martin Goldman sent Walker a letter telling her to come to court Friday to explain why she didn't return. Her explanation that her ride was leaving so she had to go didn't sit well with Vasquez.
"First of all, she had a smirk on her face," Vasquez said. "And she didn't apologize. She said her ride was leaving but that doesn't explain why she didn't tell anyone."
According to Indiana law, a person who doesn't show up for jury duty can be sent to jail for three days and fined $100. "I found her in contempt and ordered her to spend one day in jail," Vasquez said.
The four criminal court judges have been trying to figure out how to deal with people who are called to jury duty and don't come at all, Vasquez said. "We've talked about bringing them all in to ask them why," he said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 24, 2005 08:01 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts