Texas man jailed 83 days for skipping jury duty

[sonias]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090509/ap_on_re_us/us_absent_juror_jailed;_ylt=AsHCvfSfw5CVXW7.l1TP2nCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJvaHNoY28yBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNTA5L3VzX2Fic2VudF9qdXJvcl9qYWlsZWQEY3BvcwM4BHBvcwMxNQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawN0ZXhhc21hbmphaWw-">Yahoo News 5/09/09
Texas man jailed 83 days for skipping jury duty

McKINNEY, Texas – A man arrested for allegedly failing to appear for jury duty was released Saturday after spending 83 days in jail, a length of detention that a judge called "unacceptable."

Douglas Maupin was released a day after The Dallas Morning News brought his plight to the attention of a Collin County judge.

Maupin, a masonry contractor, was arrested Feb. 15 after police pulled him over for speeding. Police then detained him on a 2003 warrant for failure to appear for jury duty.

He wrote a letter to the newspaper about his lengthy jail stay, then said in a jailhouse interview that he, his friends and family could not afford his $1,500 bail.

This is an unbelievably stupid action by the local D.A. Jesus!

No wonder people think they shouldn't register to vote. They never want to get called to jury duty. The thing a lot of people are not aware of though is that the jury pools are now also drawn from driver's licence records.

Do not skip a call to jury duty and do not lie on the form either!

Sonia

[sonias]

1. The Dallas Morning News story

DMN 5/09/09
DMN Problem Solver: Collin County man held for 83 days for missing jury duty
(snip)
When asked why Maupin was being held so long, John Norton, a Collin County Sheriff's Department spokesman, said, "We hold him until he posts bond or a judge says, 'Release him.' "

(snip)
He said at one point he had asked for a form to try to get a public defender, but he was told by a clerk that he couldn't have one because his was a civil case – even though the court's Web site identifies the case as a felony.

He also said that released inmates wrote him and told him they had tried to tell the court of his situation but were ignored.

So he wrote a letter, postmarked April 30, to the DMN Problem Solver column at The News. The letter was received on Thursday.

(snip)
Maupin wrote that, because of his time in jail, he lost his rental home, his car and his dog. "I find myself now homeless, with no job, and a vehicle repossession," he wrote. "Along with the loss of all my personal possessions, and my beloved dog, Daisy."

:grr:

Sonia

[WolverineDG]

4. Oh that's horse shit right there by the clerk

And I should know, having filed many contempt motions. ANYTIME YOU ASK FOR ARREST AND/OR JAIL TIME, THE 6TH AMENDMENT IS IN PLAY. That includes the right to a court-appointed defense attorney.

Some clerk needs to go back to Constitution School.

dg

[Aragorn]

2. I live in Texas

and have for all my 51 years. I assure you, this is TYPICAL. From now on I will tell anyone in this situation to write the Dallas Morning News. Many jails profit for every day they hold someone. Lengthy stays over trivial matters are common, largely as a result of that IMO. The arrested can't afford help, can't get public help, and are many times charged with ludicrous things which are dismissed - after a long, profitable stay.

Yes, don't skip jury duty and don't lie - ESPECIALLY in Texas.

[sonias]

3. Our indigent defense system is the absolute worse in the country

The good ole boy - go along to get along is alive and well in Texas. You would think the sheriff would have a little compassion and try to help this guy out. You know maybe tell a judge about the case. Or at least train his jail clerks a little better so they wouldn't provide bad information to the inmates.

Sonia

[Aragorn]

5. profit motive

Lack of compassion? Clearly
Ignorance? Probably not. That is passive
Profit motive? Almost certainly

A patient of mine spent 3 months in East Texas county jail because the driver of a car she was in had a joint in her purse. Driver made bail in 24 hours, and since it was a misdemeanor, admitted (even in writing) that her passenger had no idea she had a joint.

Patient said "They made plenty of money keeping me there, on beans and rice for 3 months". When she finally got a hearing the letter was presented and charges were dismissed.

I have many, many other stories like this from E Texas, and the cops harass ME for helping my patients over this.

A few whose family members were killed by beatings, and got settlements due to that, but never make the papers out here. Last time this type of thing happened I bought the local paper which listed on page 1 "pot found in Walmart, no one claims it from police" and stories bout 1) visiting author who thinks the South was right, and 2) local fave band whose semi-hits are about how the South was right. I thought the Texas Rangers investigating the police again would be the top story but it was not in there at all.

I was not surprised....what do you think DG?

[Why Syzygy]

6. I think I will stay out of East Texas!

Too bad. Lots of great trees and lakes.

[Aragorn]

7. visitor?

As far as I can tell lighter skinned visitors have little to fear especially if they are only here to spend money at a lake area for a few days. It is the most beautiful part of the State I think. These 2 vary directly the farther east one is.