La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Todd Bjerke was not amused when a number of citizens summoned for jury duty for the Todd Kendhammer trial simply failed to show up. An article in the La Crosse Tribune outlines some of the totally lame excuses these people gave to the judge, which ranged from pure "stupidity", to believing that a jury was being brought in from another county. "So you just didn't show up then?", the judge asked. "Yup", that errant citizen replied. Amazingly, one person who was subpoenaed to explain his/her absence did not even show up to do that! That person was summarily fined $500.00. If that person is as bad at paying the fine as he/is at obeying court summonses, he/she will probably sit time in the jail for the unpaid fine.
Obviously, jurors play an essential role in the jury trial system. I have handled trials where an inadequate number of jurors nearly led to the Sheriff going to a nearby cafeteria to conscript unwitting citizens to serve. Such a thing is patently unfair for the citizens enjoying their lung, not to mention for the criminal defendant or civil party who will have some unhappy campers sitting on his/her jury.
The right to a jury trial is probably the most crucial safeguard we have as citizens. That's why they call it "jury duty". Hopefully, the publicity from these events will help prevent further absences.
Obviously, jurors play an essential role in the jury trial system. I have handled trials where an inadequate number of jurors nearly led to the Sheriff going to a nearby cafeteria to conscript unwitting citizens to serve. Such a thing is patently unfair for the citizens enjoying their lung, not to mention for the criminal defendant or civil party who will have some unhappy campers sitting on his/her jury.
The right to a jury trial is probably the most crucial safeguard we have as citizens. That's why they call it "jury duty". Hopefully, the publicity from these events will help prevent further absences.
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