Juror Punished For Bringing Kids To Court - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Family Ties Forever! · 03-04-2010, 08:39 PM

Quote:

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Juror Punished For Bringing Kids To Court
Woman Says No One Else Could Watch Them

Posted: Thursday, March 4, 2010Updated: 9:03 am CST March 4, 2010

Pontiac, Mich. -- A Michigan mother said she was ordered to jail for bringing her two young children with her to jury duty because she could not find someone to watch them, Detroit TV station WDIV reported.

Carmela Khury, 37, said she had no other choice but to bring her 3-year-old daughter and 8-month-old son to an Oakland County circuit court last Thursday. Khury said her husband was at work, the children’s grandmother was getting oral surgery and none of her friends were available.

Khury said she called the court’s clerk office to make them aware of her situation and to say that she would be late.Khury said when she arrived, Judge Leo Bowman dismissed her from the jury pool but ordered her to return Friday and watch the trial as a spectator, and told her she would have to serve 24 hours in jail at the end of the case.

“I was saying, ‘What choice did I have? What did you want me to do?’” Khury said. "It's not like I didn't show up for jury duty. I showed up for jury duty Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I had a problem on Thursday." Khury said the children’s grandmother was able to watch them Friday for her.

The complaint ultimately reached the state court administrative offices, which advised Bowman to immediately cease holding Khury as a spectator.
She was released Monday.“These are my kids. I know they may not have been important to him, but this is my priority,” Khury said. Bowman's staff said making a statement about a specific juror would be inappropriate, but that he would be able to comment after the trial ended.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.

catlover79 · 03-04-2010, 09:17 PM

Good grief. What was she supposed to do, leave the kids at home by themselves? They should have cut the woman some slack. No wonder people can't stand the judicial system in this country.

Marvo301 · 03-05-2010, 12:03 AM

What was the Judge expecting her to do? Abandon her children? I think that Judge should be sentenced to babysit this lady's kids for a few days so she can recover from the stress he caused her!

comedyfreak · 03-05-2010, 07:50 AM

Time to vote out someone

MickeyMac · 03-05-2010, 02:14 PM

They should have a daycare center for jurors who have kids.

Yeah and jury duty sucks

Zoneboy · 03-05-2010, 02:24 PM

Leave a child to die in a hot car and get hardly a slap on the wrist but bring a child to jury duty because you can't find someone to care for them while you honor your civic duty and you get thrown in jail.

Janice · 03-05-2010, 04:11 PM

People know months in advance that they have jury duty. Plenty of people have kids, and she had plenty of time to make arrangements. Jury duty is serious business, and they don't make exceptions for anyone. If they do for some, they have to do it for all. I think jail is excessive. There are other ways; a fine or have her make up the time in another case.

Zoneboy · 03-05-2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice

People know months in advance that they have jury duty.

I thought prospective Jurors were given sufficient notice but since I've never been called to Jury Duty I wasn't sure how much.

catlover79 · 03-05-2010, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

I thought prospective Jurors were given sufficient notice but since I've never been called to Jury Duty I wasn't sure how much.

Same here.

Janice · 03-05-2010, 04:47 PM

I served for a weeklong trial about 15 years ago. It was an interesting case. This pimp had taken an underage girl to Las Vegas. She claimed he kidnapped and beat her. He was convicted. The trial started on Monday and ended on Friday. It was fun, and my fellow jurors were cool. They served us really nice take-out lunches; good food. On Friday, they shook these cubes in a container and pulled out my number. That meant that I was an alternate, and I wasn't allowed to deliberate. I was so irked. Still, it was an overall interesting experience.

I don't remember exactly how much notice I was given, but it was a couple of months. I've been summoned a few times since. I would always check off "Postpone" on the card and mail it back. You can postpone it for a year. When the year was up, my doctor would write a letter that I wasn't well. Now, since I'm on disability, I'll never have to serve again.

Torgo · 03-05-2010, 05:34 PM

I've only been summoned once for Jury Duty in 2005, the card came in January, I checked the postpone box, I got a card back saying it was postponed for October of that year(and even the week it would be for, and the time I would have to show up), then towards October I got a reminder card- so she should have gotten plenty of notice. It's not like they just randomly spring jury duty on you the day before.

I didn't get to actually be part of jury. I went to the the court house on a Monday, filled out information so they could reimburse you for gas. I think it started at 8AM, then finally about 1PM they gathered us up and started reading off names of people for possible jury. I was one of the people, then we waited another 2 hours, and then we were told that the case was settled and we could leave. I then had to call every night for a week to see if my number was called.

catlover79 · 03-05-2010, 08:30 PM

Don't they have alternate jurors in cases of emergency?

Chocolate Moose · 03-06-2010, 08:20 PM

Seems to me that a stay at home mom shouldn't have to hire a babysitter just to do jury duty.

Family Ties Forever! · 03-06-2010, 09:15 PM

I think one of the exceptions to not have to go to jury duty is if you are caring for a child under the age of 10. I could be wrong, but I think that was one of the options. I'm not sure why the lady was forced to go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice

I served for a weeklong trial about 15 years ago. It was an interesting case. This pimp had taken an underage girl to Las Vegas. She claimed he kidnapped and beat her. He was convicted. The trial started on Monday and ended on Friday. It was fun, and my fellow jurors were cool. They served us really nice take-out lunches; good food. On Friday, they shook these cubes in a container and pulled out my number. That meant that I was an alternate, and I wasn't allowed to deliberate. I was so irked. Still, it was an overall interesting experience.

I don't remember exactly how much notice I was given, but it was a couple of months. I've been summoned a few times since. I would always check off "Postpone" on the card and mail it back. You can postpone it for a year. When the year was up, my doctor would write a letter that I wasn't well. Now, since I'm on disability, I'll never have to serve again.

I received a jury summons once. I don't remember seeing a postpone option. Perhaps I just didn't see it. I checked with the local court though and with documentation I was able to be excused because of blindness.

catlover79 · 03-06-2010, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Family Ties Forever!

I think one of the exceptions to not have to go to jury duty is if you are caring for a child under the age of 10. I could be wrong, but I think that was one of the options. I'm not sure why the lady was forced to go.

I received a jury summons once. I don't remember seeing a postpone option. Perhaps I just didn't see it. I checked with the local court though and with documentation I was able to be excused because of blindness.

I also received a jury summons 7-8 years ago. However, I was excused because I wasn't driving at the time and I also had upcoming final exams (I was still in college then).

03-04-2010, 09:17 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Good grief. What was she supposed to do, leave the kids at home by themselves? They should have cut the woman some slack. No wonder people can't stand the judicial system in this country.
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03-05-2010, 12:03 AM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	What was the Judge expecting her to do? Abandon her children? I think that Judge should be sentenced to babysit this lady's kids for a few days so she can recover from the stress he caused her!
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03-05-2010, 07:50 AM	#4
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	Time to vote out someone
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03-05-2010, 02:24 PM	#6
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,438	Something's Wrong with This Picture Leave a child to die in a hot car and get hardly a slap on the wrist but bring a child to jury duty because you can't find someone to care for them while you honor your civic duty and you get thrown in jail.
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03-05-2010, 05:34 PM	#11
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,037	I've only been summoned once for Jury Duty in 2005, the card came in January, I checked the postpone box, I got a card back saying it was postponed for October of that year(and even the week it would be for, and the time I would have to show up), then towards October I got a reminder card- so she should have gotten plenty of notice. It's not like they just randomly spring jury duty on you the day before. I didn't get to actually be part of jury. I went to the the court house on a Monday, filled out information so they could reimburse you for gas. I think it started at 8AM, then finally about 1PM they gathered us up and started reading off names of people for possible jury. I was one of the people, then we waited another 2 hours, and then we were told that the case was settled and we could leave. I then had to call every night for a week to see if my number was called.
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03-05-2010, 02:14 PM	#5
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	They should have a daycare center for jurors who have kids. Yeah and jury duty sucks

03-05-2010, 04:11 PM	#7
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	People know months in advance that they have jury duty. Plenty of people have kids, and she had plenty of time to make arrangements. Jury duty is serious business, and they don't make exceptions for anyone. If they do for some, they have to do it for all. I think jail is excessive. There are other ways; a fine or have her make up the time in another case.

03-05-2010, 04:47 PM	#10
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	I served for a weeklong trial about 15 years ago. It was an interesting case. This pimp had taken an underage girl to Las Vegas. She claimed he kidnapped and beat her. He was convicted. The trial started on Monday and ended on Friday. It was fun, and my fellow jurors were cool. They served us really nice take-out lunches; good food. On Friday, they shook these cubes in a container and pulled out my number. That meant that I was an alternate, and I wasn't allowed to deliberate. I was so irked. Still, it was an overall interesting experience. I don't remember exactly how much notice I was given, but it was a couple of months. I've been summoned a few times since. I would always check off "Postpone" on the card and mail it back. You can postpone it for a year. When the year was up, my doctor would write a letter that I wasn't well. Now, since I'm on disability, I'll never have to serve again.

03-05-2010, 08:30 PM	#12
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Don't they have alternate jurors in cases of emergency?

03-06-2010, 08:20 PM	#13
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,902	Seems to me that a stay at home mom shouldn't have to hire a babysitter just to do jury duty.
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